Ravens, Terps, Orioles and More

Funny Sports Picture 7/29


Amazing he can jump that high and yet still rub two guys' nipples.

Random Notes 7/29

MLB
:-: The O's lost 13-11 to the Chicago White Sox. Orioles' SP Jim Johnson gave up 8 runs in only 3 innings of work. Johnson who was called up from AA Bowie for the start was promptly sent back down to AA after the game. The O's needed a pitcher to fill this start after they put Russ Ortiz and Bruce Chen into the bullpen. It is also possible that the O's were showcasing Johnson for another team and were going to try and add him in a trade. His performance, however, was obviously not impressive. After Johnson's problems, Russ Ortiz was put in and gave up back to back jacks to the first two batters he faced. Again I ask "Why do you sign a 32 year old scrub that is making almost 8 million dollars this season?" I have asked this question since I first heard we signed him. Angelos will be stingy in the offseason with players we need, but somehow Mazzone convinced him to take this joke?

:-: Tejada trade rumors now run rampant, however as I have no "inside sources" it is real hard to say if and who he will be traded to. I still have a feeling he won't be traded. According to Espn's Jayson Stark the Angels have backed off after their offer of SP Ervin Santana and SS Erick Aybar. Both are good young players but I do agree that Tejada is worth a little bit more. Santana could be another Pedro Martinez. The Astros and Rangers remain strong players in the Tejada talks.

:-: While Tejada talks spread like wildfire, I haven't heard anything on the other Orioles on the block. Jeff Conine, Rodrigo Lopez, LaTroy Hawkins, Kevin Millar and Javy Lopez all seem to have disappeared off teams' radars. I wouldn't be surprised to see two of them still go, most likely Conine and Hawkins, as they seem to be the most valuable of the group. I hope the Orioles front office does not forget about trading these guys, otherwise most of them will be simply veterans going elsewhere for free in the offseason.

:-: Alfonso Soriano, along with Bobby Abreu and Tejada, is the other hot name in the trade scene. The Angels could very well pick up Soriano since the Tejada trade has fallen through. Others that are in play include the Astros, White Sox, Twins and Tigers. Remember the Yankees are always in play, especially if they don't get Abreu.

:-: Talks of Bobby Abreu becoming a Yankee got hot again today. Look for the Yankees to either get Abreu or some other bat.

:-: Barry Zito to the Mets seems to be a trendy hot trade rumor, but I get the sense it isn't going to happen.

:-: Greg Maddux might of started his last game in Chicago tonight, as rumors of him being traded to the Dodgers are hot. Watch for him to be moved somewhere.

:-: Carlos Lee, who was dealt to the Rangers from the Brewers yesterday, is 4 for 6 in 2 games with the Rangers.

:-: The Tigers won their 70th game Saturday.

NFL
:-: Reggie Bush has agreed to a deal.

:-: Marshall Faulk will not play this year. Injury problems made this almost a common known thing.

:-: Chiefs LT Willie Roaf is retiring. This is HUGE, and could hurt the Chiefs a lot.

NBA
:-: The New York Knicks offered a deal to Wizards restricted free agent Jared Jeffries. That is a pretty big deal for the Wiz to match, but he is a very important part of the team because of the defense and versatility he provides. He can cover bigger shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards quite effectively.

Other Random News
:-: Fantasy rankings for Rb's will be up within the next 48 hours.
:-: I'll have a review of NCAA '07 up in the next week. I do recommend this review http://nfldraftblitz.com/index.php?c=2&a=881.

The Situation in Lebanon

I'm tired of hearing people in Lebanon blame the US for the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. I'm tired of hearing the US isn't doing enough to bring peace to the region. I'm tired of hearing the U.S. should leave the area and stop getting involved. I'm tired of Lebanese people blaming President Bush for a problem that is strictly between Hezbollah and Israel.

I understand the US backs Israel in many ways and gives them almost all of their arms. However, I do not see why the US is getting blamed for the current war going on in Lebanon. Hezbollah forces kidnapped Israeli forces, and Israel struck back as they said they would. Innocent Lebanese people have been killed in crossfire, but plenty of innocent Israeli's have been in danger due to the completely blind firing of Hezbollah's rockets.

So we have 2 groups bombing the crapy out of each other, with Israel easily on the plus side, but its not like this war will stop with a simple call for a cease fire. The Lebanese and much of the rest of the world preach a cease fire, and say the US should call for one and become upset when we dont (or atleast haven't yet) but they fail to recognize one very important fact. If the US calls for a cease fire then we would have to uphold it/penalize/use force against the side that breaks the ceasefire. The US would be the one expected to referee and make sure the peace is held up. Don't try and tell me these other countries like Syria, Saudi Arabia and France would hold the peace if a cease fire was called for. What would France send one million baguettes in to hold a border? Saudi Arabia send straight oil? The US shouldn't worry about what some idiot countries want when it wouldn't be their citizens lives, their money and their time used in the call for a cease fire. It would be the responsibility of the US to intervene once the cease fire was ended then, and then countries like FRANCE would again say we were now too involved, after their pussy asses said we were wrong for not getting involved earlier in the conflict. Truthfully nothing diplomatic could easily end this conflict right now. NOTHING. Do you think Hezbollah cares about some diplomacy made by the US, UK, Syria, Saudi Arabia and France? Not really.

Funny Sports Picture of the Day 7/26

Random Notes 7/25

MLB
:-: An Alfonso Soriano trade to the Chicago White Sox is the hot rumor from last night and today. Though it is quite possible I'd warn anyone that thinks its a done deal, it isn't. Yet.

NBA
:-: Shawn Marion will miss the World Championships for Team USA. His knee is giving him problems.

College Football
:-: Romance Taylor to transfer. The Texas RB will transfer after a bunch of problems. He got caught with weed and had trouble with his grades.

Just one of the many reasons I hate the Yankees

Alex Rodriguez has had his struggles defensively this year. He is on pace for ONLY a 35 homerun 120 rbi season. His HR's, Rbi totals put him in the top two in the majors for thirdbasemen. He is batting .277. Sure these numbers are low for a guy making over 25 million dollars this year. But remember, Rodriquez hit 48 homeruns, drove in 130, batted .320 and oh yeah, had 21 stolen bases last year.

So any team but the Yankees (and perhaps the Redsox, most likely not) would be happy with him. Some fans might boo him if he played in Baltimore or Seattle with the contract he has, but most would cheer and just realize the fact he was slumping some this year but was still a great player and had good numbers even while he was "slumping". Yankees fans on the other hand, are booing everytime he comes up to bat, demanding he be traded and just fueling Steinbrenner's retarded rage. How would you feel if your employer publicly denounced you? Sure Arod is a public figure, and gets paid very handsomely, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't affect his mindset if Steinbrenner publicly criticizes him, which he has.

People are going to say, "You don't understand it is so much different with the New York media." Or maybe, "He makes so much money he should be doing so much better and deal with the criticism." I don't think a single New York fan will realize, they have the best hitting thirdbaseman in the league, and one of the best hitters the past 8 years or so. The Yankees are simply BORING. Almost everyone besides Yankees' fans would agree. They boo great players that are slumping until King George crys like a little baby for Brian Cashman to change his diaper and trade for another million dollar tampon/player to quell his bitching.

This post does have some bitterness to it, you are correct if you are thinking that right about now. But realize that in the next 4 years or so the Yankees could be in some serious trouble and big changes could be at hand. Torre can't coach forever, and core players like Jeter, Rivera, Posada and Williams will be either retired or well into their 30's/40's. Other additions along the way (Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Giambi, Sheffield) will most likely be retired. And other additions like Arod, Matsui and Damon will be in their mid 30's and no longer in their prime. With a depleted farm system they won't have much to trade. They do have two good young position players in Cano and Cabrera but they are not players that could carry this franchise.

Hope for the best, and Yankee losses.

Funny Sports Picture of the Day 7/24


In celebration of Floyd Landis' victory in the Tour de France.


Random Notes 7/24

MLB
:-: The O's won 4-2 on another great start by Erik Bedard. Bedard, who pitched 7 innings giving up only 3 hits while striking out 9, improved his recored to 12-6 by winning his 7 straight start. Chris Ray came in for a 2 inning save. The O's salvaged 1 win out of the 3 game series in Tampa Bay and have the day off today before they start up a 3 game set in Kansas City. In other O's news, Miguel Tejada rumors have sparked up more as the Astros have apparently grown very interested. Hopefully the Orioles do not move Miguel unless they are blown away, which is what Owner Peter Angelos has said it would take to trade Tejada. We all know the front office and owner are not the brightest of the bunch however. Jeff Conine, Kevin Millar, Latroy Hawkins, and Javy Lopez have all been in discussions as well.

:-: With the trade deadline in just over a week rumors are spreading like wildfire.
-The Yanks supposedly offered a deal for Phillies OF Bobby Abreu, but it was not enough for the Phillies.
-The Red Sox are in the market for a latter part of the rotation type of pitcher.
-The Cubs are trying to trade Infielder Todd Walker, whose contract runs out at the end of the season.
-OF Pat Burrell would not wave his no trade clause to come to Baltimore in a trade for P Rodrigo Lopez.
-SP Jake Westbrook of the Cleveland Indians is being looked at by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Indians are supposedly interested in trading him to the Red Sox for young OF Willy Mo Pena.
-The Mets are interested in SP Barry Zito of the A's.
-The Pirates are another team trying to trade a lot away, like the O's. Rumors that Jeremy Burnitz, Craig Wilson or Sean Casey, Joe Randa ad Kip Wells are on the trading block.

NBA
:-: The Atlanta Hawks are close to reaquiring forward Al Harrington.

:-: The Toronto Raptors signed Spanish forward, Jorge Garbajosa.

:-: Team USA Basketball continues to practice at camp, getting ready for the World Championships in mid-August. Cuts are made Tuesday but the final 12 man roster will likely include Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Gilbert Arenas, Chris Bosh, Elton Brand, Bruce Bowen, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Antawn Jamison and Brad Miller. The only changes that would be likely in that mix, would be adding Shane Battier or Amare Stoudemire (who is coming off an injury) in place of Brad Miller or Antwan Jamison.

NFL
:-: Ty Law signs a 5 year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs defense is still the major problem with the team, as it has been for years now.

:-: After breaking his arm in a CFL game, RB Ricky Williams will miss atleast a month of the CFL season.

PGA
:-: Tiger Woods won the British Open yesterday. He finished 18 under to capture his 11th major.

Random Notes 7/23

:-: Floyd Landis looks to keep the Tour de France champion an American as he goes for the victory today. He had a great time trialin yesterday's critical stage.

MLB

:-: Orioles lost 13-12 last night against the Devil Rays in a game that had a 10 run inning by the D-Rays and a 9 run inning by the O's. Rodrigo Lopez gave up 7 runs in 4.1 innings and decreased his trade value. It is suprising to even hear that Lopez is mentioned in a trade for Phillies' Pat Burrell.

Fantasy Rankings
Quarterbacks:

1. Peyton Manning

- Manning is the most dependable fantasy QB by far. The Colts might suffer as a team as a result of losing Edgerrin James, but expect Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai to fill in nicely. Manning might even have a better season without James, especially since the Colts used the money they saved on not resigning James, to resign Reggie Wayne. Wayne is slowly taking away the number one spot from Marvin Harrison, but they both will put up big numbers as in the past. Add Dallas Clark to the mix and Manning will have another one of those years. Expect 30+ Td’s and right around 4,000 yards.
*SAFE PICK

2. Matt Hasselbeck
- Hasselbeck became the QB that Mike Holmgren had projected in Green Bay. He led the NFC in Td’s and QB rating. He benefits from All-Pro running back Shaun Alexander bring up defenses. Darrell Jackson returns after missing ten games last year, and should only help Hasselbeck’s game. The Seahawks also added Nate Burleson to replace Joe Jurevicius, who departed for Cleveland. Burleson could very well be opposite Jackson come opening day, a spot presently filled by Bobby Engram. The improved Jerramy Stevens gives Hasselbeck a very good safety net at TE. Expect 25+ Td’s and right around 3,750 yards.

*SAFE PICK

3. Jake Delhomme
- Delhomme really is the closest thing to a young Brett Farvre in the league today. His cocksure attitude leads to sometimes silly passes, but also to some great, big time plays. It doesn’t hurt to have the league’s most electrifying WR going after those passes either. The Panthers added Keyshawn Jackson to put a possession receiver on the other side of Smith, opening up even more space. This allows Keary Colbert to slide to the slot where he fits better, and should actually show up more on big plays. Drew Carter, an uber athlete, gives Delhomme another receiving threat. Deshaun Foster and rookie DeAngelo Williams should keep things open for Delhomme. Expect 25+ Td’s and right around 3,500 yards.

4. Carson Palmer
- Palmer had a huge season with nearly 4,000 yards through the air and 32 Td's last year. The BIG question with him is his health. While Palmer isn't a scrambling type of QB the status of his knee is still critical. This is why I delayed until now to put him in here. Palmer has his backfield mate in RB Rudi Johnson. Johnson has proven to be a good, downhill runner in his career. RB Chris Perry provides some pass catching ability out of the backfield. Palmer's main weapons are WR's Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Oregon State duo combined for 2,300 yards receiving and 16 Td's. WR Chris Henry, if he can stay out of trouble, provides another impressive target for Palmer. If Palmer's knee holds up there is no reason he can't have another outstanding season. Expect 25+ Td's and right around 3,500 yards.

*RISKY PICK

5. Daunte Culpepper
- Culpepper looks to prove doubters wrong, both the skeptics of his health with a rebuilt knee, and the skeptics who believe his success in Minnesota was based off of Randy Moss. By going to Miami, Culpepper will team up with the most similar receiver to Moss in the league. Though only 5’11, Chambers’ 40+ inch vertical, electrifying speed and good hands make him a very dangerous receiver with an amazing ability to go up and get the ball. TE Randy McMichael adds a dangerous security valve for Culpepper. Marty Booker and rookie Derek Hagan add other receiving weapons for Culpepper to use. Add bright 2nd year running back, Ronnie Brown, and Culpepper has all the weapons needed for a huge comeback year. He is the wildcard of the top ten, not as dependable as the first 3. His injuries are the only thing holding him back from being ranked right behind Peyton on this list. Expect 25+ Td’s and right around 3,500 yards.

*RISKY PICK

6. Tom Brady
- Brady had a great statistical year in 2005, leading the league in yards with over 4,100 yards. Deion Branch, Brady’s favorite target, returns after a solid 2005 campaign. The under achieving Reche Caldwell and rookie Chad Jackson will try to fill the holes left by the departed David Givens and Bethel Johnson. One of the two must step up and replace the 59 catches and over 700 yards that Givens had. Corey Dillon’s descent from the top echelon of back will not help Brady, however, the addition of 1st round pick Laurence Maroney will help make up for Dillon’s age. One of the two must reestablish the running game for Brady. The TE position is much less of a concern as New England returns two young targets for Brady in Daniel Graham and Ben Watson. A pair of rookie TE’s, Dave Thomas and Garrett Mills, add more depth to that position. All and all Brady should have another solid year, but I wouldn’t expect 4000 yards again. Expect 20-25 Td’s and right around 3,500 yards.

7. Drew Bledsoe
- Bledsoe should benefit from what most think was the biggest offseason move. Terrell Owens should help out all of the offense. Expect Bledsoe, RB Julius Jones and TE Jason Witten to all improve on their numbers last year. WR Terry Glenn, who led the NFL in ypc at 18.3 (minimum of 20 catches), provides another big play threat besides Owens. WR Patrick Crayton and rookie WR Skyler green will also be in play for Bledsoe. Bledsoe still has an arm, and has a ton of weapons to work with, but too many questions about the offensive line and his ability, at 35, to still get up after big hits plague him to be ranked any higher. However, if injuries evade him and the offensive line holds up expect a very good season by Bledsoe with all the talent he has around him. If healthy, expect low 20’s Td’s and 3,500+ yards.

*RISKY PICK

8. Drew Brees
- Brees move to New Orleans could rocket him up in the fantasy world in the year to come. Brees, much like Culpepper has skeptics who question his health. His injured shoulder scares some people away. But the fact is he has moved into a great offensive situation in New Orleans.
The most dangerous rookie in the draft, HB Reggie Bush will give Brees a weapon similar to Ladanian Tomlinson in many respects. Deuce McAllister will still be the workhorse back in New Orleans, if he can stay healthy. RB Michael Bennett will also be in the mix. WR Joe Horn comes back after being injured a large chunk of the 2005 season. WR Donte Stallworth returns after his best season in the NFL yet. His tremendous speed gives a good deep threat to Brees and opens up the field for the rest. Six year veteran TE Zach Hilton came out of obscurity to become a good option for New Orleans in the second half of the 2005 season. The 6’8 TE will provide a large option for Brees. Third year OT Jamaal Brown leads an offensive line that lost C LeCharles Bentley. Brown will provide good blindside blocking for Brees. If Brees’ shoulder holds up, Horn returns from an injury plagued season in previous form, and Bush supplies the playmaking ability that he should, look for Drew Brees to have a good fantasy season. Expect 20-25 Td’s and 3,000+ yards.

*RISKY PICK

9. Michael Vick
- Vick is the most dangerous dual threat in the league. He will always give you good running yards and shows flashes of brilliance throwing the ball from time to time. Though his passing stats lack, his nearly 700 yards rushing makes him a valuable player. He still hasn’t played a whole 16 game season in his career yet and with the running he does injuries are a concern. TE Alge Crumpler has proved to be a top TE but no other receivers have gotten to the elite level. Former first round picks WR’s Roddy White and Michael Clayton need to become more productive as WR Bryan Finneran, the team’s leading WR last year, is not a true number one. RB Warrick Dunn gives Vick a good dual purpose back. Expect 15-20 Td’s and 2,500 yards and another 500 yards running.

10. Brett Favre
-Favre had his worst year since 1993 in 2005. The Packers lost number one WR Javon Walker to the Broncos and RB Ahman Green might never be the same as a result of injuries and age. However, WR Donald Driver, TE Bubba Franks and a breakout year by someone else should give Favre enough to have a better year than last and put up some good stats. I give Favre a lot of respect and believe he can make something out of this. Expect 25 Td’s and 3,500 yards but in true Favre fashion 15 to 20 Int’s.

*RISKY PICK

11. Ben Rothlisberger
- Rothlisberger should have a solid season but he did lose playmaking WR Antwaan Randle El. Look for rookie WR Santonio Holmes to fill the void with the help of WR Cedrick Wilson and Quincy Morgan. TE Heath Miller provides Rothlisberger with a great receiver. RB Willie Parker still has some question marks as to whether or not he can be a fulltime back. Someone needs to step up in that role to help Rothlisberger. Some questions as to his health arise after his accident, but he should be fine especially in the beginning of the year, it could cause him to wear down quicker if he takes a lot of hits by the end of the year. Expect 20 Td’s and 3,000- yards

12. Donovan McNabb- McNabb lost the only WR he has had for awhile in Terrell Owens. The Eagles have a WR core full of number two and three type of guys in WR’s Reggie Brown, Greg Lewis, Jabar Gaffney, Damerien McCants and Todd Pinkston. RB Brian Westbrook gives McNabb a good receiving RB but somebody from the WR core must step up. Will a WR step up or will McNabb have no options besides Westbrook and TE L.J. Smith?

13. Trent Green- Kansas City never gets great WR’s but Green keeps putting up good numbers. After is fourth straight 4,000 yard season the 36 year old will look to do it again mainly through the help of TE Tony Gonzalez, WR Eddie Kennison and an amazing running game, now lead by RB Larry Johnson. Will age catch up to him and can he keep putting up such great numbers with such little receiving help?

14. Kurt Warner- Two, young, 100 catch, 1,400 yard receivers, a huge rookie TE and free agent addition, RB Edgerrin James give Warner all the weapons to make it happen. Now the question is can he stay healthy and can he actually do it or is the magic from St. Louis completely gone?

15. Jake Plummer- New addition WR Javon Walker gives Plummer a true number 1 receiver. There are some questions about Walker’s health and Ashley Lelie is very upset with his role and there is still a good chance he won’t be on the Broncos this year. The Broncos also drafted QB Jay Cutler in the first round this April. Will the Broncos jump the gun and put in Cutler if Plummer falters?

16. Steve McNair- He has moved to a team that hasn’t seen a successful QB since Trent Dilfer, and even he wasn’t a statistical star. There are questions on McNair’s health as he continues to age and has taken so many hard hits in his career. WR’s Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton give McNair two good and dangerous options. TE Todd Heap gives McNair a top 3 receiving TE with velcro hands. Will McNair’s reunion with Mason prove to be as successful as their previous years and will McNair stay healthy?

17. Marc Bulger- He continues to overachieve and make good decisions. WR Torry Holt, who still doesn’t get the press he deserves and WR Kevin Curtis give Bulger dangerous targets. WR Issac Bruce has slowed and is starting to show his age. Can he continue to overachieve?

18. Eli Manning- Had a very impressive first half of the 2005 season, but slowed some in the second half. Has good targets in WR’s Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress. RB Tiki Barber also provides a great duel threat back for Manning. Which half was his true half?

19. David Carr- Should improve after to solid seasons with the addition of WR Eric Moulds on the opposite side of the always dangerous Andre Johnson.
Can he finally breakout?

20. Aaron Brooks- Has the arm to hit WR’s Randy Moss and Jerry Porter deep. However, his decision making has been extremely poor in the past years. Will Moss and a change of scenery reestablish Brooks?

21. Phillip Rivers- Steps in for the forced out Drew Brees Brees. The former first rounder will finally get his chance to prove his worth, and will have the leagues best RB and best receiving TE to help him along. Can Rivers prove the Chargers right for using a first round pick on him?

22. Mark Brunell- Has a ton of weapons in WR’s Santana Moss, Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El, David Patten, RB Clinton Portis and a good safety net in Chris Cooley. But Brunell, soon to be 36, has taken a ton of hits in his career and his arm is in question. Can he stay healthy?

23. Chris Simms- Undisputed starter for the first time in a long time anywhere, even at Texas. But you can’t expect WR Joey Galloway to be at that same level for much longer and WR Michael Clayton drops a lot of balls. Will he take the job and run with it?

24. Billy Volek- Finally gets his opportunity, and then the Titans draft QB Vince Young. Should still be the starter for most the season and has proven that he has abilities. How long will he be starting for?

25. Chad Pennington- Could surprise, or could never play again in the league. Can his shoulder hold up?

26. Brad Johnson- Has good options in WR’s Marcus Robinson, Koren Robinson and Troy Williamson, but is ancient (turns 38 this season). Is he too old?

27. Rex Grossman- He can’t be injured again can he?

28. Charlie Frye- Gets sacked a lot (22 times in 5 starts), but has shown some skill in limited experience and a healthy WR Braylon Edwards and TE Kellen Winslow could help out a lot. Will Frye be the first franchise QB of the Browns?

29. Alex Smith- Young and mistake prone, but adding Vernon Davis could help him a lot. He still needs support at running back. Is he any good?

30. Jon Kitna- Is the lead candidate for Detroit QB job, but not a guarantee with McCown also getting a look. Will he start?

31. J.P. Losman- Underacheiver. Maybe WR Peerless Price returns to old form. I dobut it. Will Losman show anything to make Buffalo want to keep him?

32. Jason Campbell- It is about time that Campbell gets a look, and I grimace every time I see Brunell gets hit nowdays. When is it his time?

33. Patrick Ramsey- Pennington’s shoulder could put Ramsey into action sooner than later. Will the shoulder force him in?

34. Josh McCown- Detroit’s QB situation isn’t clear, but they have a lot of weapons. But so did Arizona. Can he beat out Kitna and show the “promise” everyone talks about him having?

35. Trent Dilfer- He is backing up Alex Smith. Exactly. Will the 49ers be patient with Smith if he continues such horrible pla?

36. Brian Griese- Maybe Grossman will. Do we want another question?


***Note Carson Palmer was plugged in later after determining he would be healthy enough to start the season. That is the reason for the 11 picks with number projections and the reason for 36 total QB's.

Random Notes 7/18

MLB
:-: Orioles lost in a rain delayed game, 5-4 to the A's tonight. Russ Ortiz pitched 2.2 innings before the rain came, giving up 3 runs on back to back jacks. His ERA is now a solid 9.00. GOOD PICK UP front office. The gametime temperature was 100, after a gametime temperature of 99 last night.
:-: Adam Loewen started his sixth game of the season, first since being brought up by the Orioles last night. Loewen showed the same control problems that sent him down to AAA just a few weeks ago. He threw 92 pitches, balked, walked six and hit a batter as he struggled through five innings of work. Hopefully he can figure out his control problems quicker than Cabrera.

Other Baseball Notes
:-: Buck O'Neil, 94, almost gets his head taken off in a minor league All Star game gimmick. Stupid gimmick but who cares? It's minor league baseball.

NBA
:-: Sonics become the second NBA team craving the Sooner state capital.
:-: Darius Songaila signed with the Wizards yesterday. The three year year veteran out of Wake Forest signed a five year, $23 million deal Monday, and gives the Wiz some help off the bench. While he is undersized, at 6'8, he is not afraid of contact and gives the team another body that will fight down low and eat up fouls.
:-: Paul Pierce signs extension with C's.
:-: Double Flip in Detroit. Flip Murray signs deal with Pistons, joining coach Flip Saunders.

The New NCAA 07 Football is now out. I will be buying it within the day and most likely post my review of it within the next couple of weeks. Also, I am traveling all Wednesday so do not expect any updates that day.

The Leo Mazzone Experience


Leo Mazzone was supposed to be the answer to the Orioles pitching woes. He came in with a rep from Atlanta of getting the most out of pitchers and making pitchers like Greg Maddux and John Smoltz as good as they were in their prime. With Mazzone all thought Daniel Cabrera would turn his great stuff into a dominating pitcher. We also thought he could make Bedard even better, get Chen and Rodrigo to be solid pitchers and have Kris Benson be the solid veteran he is. Now its July 17, and Chen has a 7.38 ERA and is in the bullpen, Rodrigo has a 6.44 ERA, Cabrera just got sent down to the minors after leading the majors in walks and wild pitches for the first half, and the Orioles just picked up Russ Ortiz and his solid 7.88 ERA. Bedard has been the only starter we can depend on as a stopper, with occasional flashes from Benson. Out of the other 3 that we thought would make up our rotation, 2 should never throw another ball in the majors, atleast with the Orioles, and Cabrera needs to redefine his mind and windup on the mound in AAA. What to do?

Get rid of Ortiz, Chen, Rodrigo, Latroy Hawkins, and Todd Williams. Another firesale you say? Rebuild the bullpen around 3 guys. Chris Britton, Kurt Birkins, and Chris Ray. Britton, a 23 year old, has just been solid since coming up. Birkins has been very good in middle relief and gives us a good lefty in the bullpen for years, since he is only 25. And Ray is lights out, as most people know. 22 saves in 23 chances, and only 24 years of age. Make sure all 3 are signed for atleast 3 years and build up the bullpen around them as you "rebuild." Latroy Hawkins and Todd Williams are both solid, veteran, middle relief/setup type of pitchers that will be overvalued in the market by playoff bound teams. Hawkins is 33 and Williams is 35. Not TOO old for relief pitchers, but not needed by the Orioles, and they truthfully are more valuable than any bat I think we should trade, besides Mora. Chen and Ortiz have absolutely no value on the market. Nobody wants a soft-toss lefty with an ERA over 7, who is giving up a homerun every 3 innings. And nobody wants Ortiz with his inflated 7.88 ERA and 22 million dollars and 3 years left on his contract.
C.C. Sabathia, Carlos Zambrano, Bronson Arroyo, Chris Carpenter... the list of guys that will make less money and are far, far superior pitchers goes on. They aren't just guys that blew up this year either. Mazzone might of made good use of this guy in Atlanta, but he is done, that magic is not going to happen again. It is simply mind boggling why we would pick up a guy like this, but then short change proven free agents in the offseason.

Leo Mazzone and his reputation as the best pitching coach in baseball is just that, a reputation. The O's haven't seen the results from him or the staff. While they don't have amazing talent, there isn't any reason Daniel Cabrera isn't dominating hitters up in the majors right now. Erik Bedard is the lone bright spot on the starting staff, but he already showed his ability in previous seasons. The staff has actually worsened since last year. Cabrera, Chen ad Rodrigo have all regressed. Bring up Penn, keep Loewen up and fix Cabrera and get him back up here before the end of the season.


Random Notes (7/17)

MLB
:-: Adam Loewen starts his first game after coming back up from AAA. He starts tonight against the A's.
:-: Erik Bedard improved to 7-1 with a 2.78 ERA at home Saturday, as opposed to 4-5 with a 5.77 ERA on the road.
:-: Rodrigo Lopez had the most losses of any AL pitcher from the 2005 All Star break until this All Star break; 17.
:-: Peter Gammons is out of the hospital and will continue to recover from the brain aneurysm. I wish him and his family all the best.

NFL
:-: The Panthers juicer was sentenced to prison.

NBA
:-: J.R. Smith will be traded to the Denver Nuggets by the Chicago Bulls once his deal from New Orleans to Chicago is finalized.

Global News
:-: Tsunamistrikes again. 100+ killed.

The Oriole Way is down


The Baltimore Orioles went wire to wire in 1997 with a team that included players like Roberto Alomar, Rafael Palmeiro, BJ Surhoff, Randy Myers, Jesse Orosco, Brady Anderson, Mike Mussina and of course Cal Ripken. Now the Orioles are well on their way to their 9th straight losing season. Their team is plagued with over the hill and never went up the hill veterans. They have some talented young arms but not much youth to speak of in the everyday positions. Brandon Fahey (a sort of utility type), Corey Patterson (who has been around for years and will most likely never reach his full potential) and Nick Our Savior Markakis are the only players under 28 who have seen a lick of action at everyday positions. So lets break those three down to start off.

Fahey has overacheived already...and he is batting .280 with 2 homeruns. He will most likely never be anything more than a slower, lankier David Newhan. Corey Patterson has been slumping but he has actually done better than expected once he was giving the opportunity. His .271 average is at its lowest since May 19th. His speed alongside Brob's add a good bit of excitement to an otherwise bland, no character, crappy stickball team. Patterson does have his flaws besides his recent slump though. He can't hit lefties. Of course this is abnormal for left-handed hitters but it limits Patterson's at bats when he hits only .197 against them. So that leaves us with Mr. Savior. He has had a lot of hype for a player that hasn't showed tremendous power or speed or defensive capabilities. I will give him this. He has a very professional bat for such a young hitter. However, he hasn't shown any signs of true power nor is he as speedy as some had made him out to be. In my oppinion I never see Markakis hitting 30 homeruns a season or stealng 30 bases. Therefore, unless he hits .400 I can't see him being a big star. A solid outfielder who hits .320 with 25 homeruns and 100 rbi in his career year, I can see. So I'm not trying to squash all you Markakis lovers (he is a hottie can't lie) but the fact is he IS NOT going to turn this franchise around. He also IS NOT going to be the next Cal Ripken because even if he had those numbers I talked about above, that wouldn't be seen as anything special in a world full of 30+ hr, 100+ rbi corner outfielders. We have seen young talented outfielders just in the past couple of years underdevelop in the O's system. (Check Matos, Bigbie and even Gibbons to a degree) Still, Markakis could be a good player for the Orioles for a very long time, however don't expect him to turn this franchise away from the shithole they are heading towards, called the "Oriole Way."

The true Oriole Way can not be restored with players such as Chris Gomez, Jeff Conine, Javy Lopez and Kevin Millar taking up roster spots on a team that is battling for fourth place in the AL east. These "role players" or maybe you will hear "character player" are basically what I like to call "scrub players" or maybe "suckass players." I want any person to convince me how they are helping the team, the franchise as a whole or younger players develop. What good does having a 34 year old Millar and 40 year old Conine platooning at 1st base do? Are they going to travel back in time and have a breakthrough year? Why not trade them? Get ANYTHING. Hell just get rid of the almost 4 million dollar salary they eat up and open two more roster spots to some young guys. They will both be gone next year, either in another uniform or retired. You could probably get acouple top 20 of their organization prospects for the two since playoff bound team look for veteran bats at the trading deadline. Gomez is another story. He is actually completely worthless if Conine and Millar are both healthy. Think about it. Conine and Millar can basically play LF or DH with an occasional LF for Conine. Fahey plays 2nd, SS and LF. Gomez plays all 4 infield spots but thats unecessary with the ingredients I just mentioned above. So basically he rots an ass into the wood on the bench. He isn't worth anything in the trade market, but atleast he isn't taking any salary up, unlike the next 2.

TRADE JAVY LOPEZ AND MELVIN MORA. Javy Lopez is 35, with old knees that aren't going to get any better. Now I know he isn't worth much but why not get what you can for a guy that will be on another team next year. Melvin Mora is a little different. I know some of you might say, "What?!? I love Melvin Mora and his quintuplets!" Others might know I myself love Melvin Mora. This being said, hes 34 with a big time contract and is actually worth something on the market. While he might get what he is worth in a trade, he is worth acouple decent prospects to some attempting-to-make-a-playoff-run team. I think he is a quality guy who plays the game the way it should be played, but we should get rid of him since he is only going downhill, and we are obviously not going uphill anytime in the near future. Mora could yield some top notch prospects and perhaps a decent reliever.

Now with all this dumping of vteran players I want done you might expect me to want to trade Miguel Tejada. However, this is not the case. Don't trade him. Why not him since he would be worth the most you ask? Its not simply because he is good. He is special. He is such a better overall hitter than any other shortstop. He plays a position in which hitters such as Bill Hall, Khalil Greene, Carlos Guillen, and Juan Uribe come after him on the homerun list at SS. If you just went, "What the hell does that mean?" Well thats kind of what I was going for. Those guys I just mentioned aren't in the same league as Miggy when it comes to hitting and the stats show that since none of them are hitting over .260 besides Guillen. Tejada is 1st in homeruns and rbi for shortstop, 2nd in hits, 3rd in slugging percentage and 4th in average. He is in the middle of the pack in fielding percentage and still has a gun of an arm so I want people to get that junk about his defense abilities being subpar out of their heads. He also has turned the most DP's in the league. This kind of bat at SS doesn't come around often, even today. Miguel, at 30, can still be a part of the rebuilding process. He still has atleast 5 good years of hitting in him, and with an eventual position change, this could be made into 10 years.

So yes I want a firesale of the veteran field players, but keep Miggy. Get whatever prospects you can for guys that will be gone next year no matter what in Lopez, Millar and Conine. Entertain offers for Mora. I'll post my thoughts on the pitching staff and more on exactly what to do in all these moves I want to do later. For now, stay classy.


In other yet similiarly sad news, the O's couldn't even get Brian Roberts' bobblehead right. I got the inside info that they sent in the wrong picture.

So I have always laughed at these blogs and made fun of people with them, and now look at me. Oh well, this is what happens when you move to Orlando and don't know a single person in Florida. I'll be posting on here hopefully acouple times a week but we all know that could easily fluctuate. Hell, I could never post on this again.

Let me give you some background about myself. My names Colin. I'm 19. I'm in college in Pennsylvania. I was born and raised in Maryland, just outside Baltimore. My family moved to Orlando when I finished highschool so "home" is now Disney World. I played all types of sports when I was little; soccer, baseball, football, golf, tennis, lacrosse, basketball. That being said I only ended up playing lacrosse through highschool. I was a decent athlete, nothing special though. I'm a HUGE sports fan. I'll watch almost any kind of sport and definitely try out any sport. Anyways I'm a Bmore boy no doubt. I love my Ravens, Terps and Orioles. But I also like the Wizards and follow all sports and all teams. Favorite sport to watch HAS to be football, and my Ravens. I know a lot of random facts about players in all sports, but I know there are some even bigger tools than me that know more.

Soooo yes, I will be posting A LOT of sports stuff most likely, but also things about current events and what is going on in the world. (hence the title) This might be the real reason I'm starting this thing. I want to talk about all the crap that is happening (most of it bad) and what I think. I'm not HUGE into politics nor do I claim to know a lot about it, but I know what I feel and think. Everything will definitely not be serious in here though. I'll try to make it fun too.

Anyways, check it out and I'll have my first real post sometime soon.