As I do most days at this time of year (between final exams and summer jobs starting), I spend a lot of time listening to 1570 WNST-AM, which is bar none my favorite radio station...and that says a lot considering my father works for the Baltimore Sun! But, of course, the Sun is the major newspaper in the area, and they provide OUTSTANDING coverage on local sports. Schmuck, Preston, Maese, and Steele are my personal favorites. As far as radio stations go, I feel that WNST is the only local sports station that takes the gloves off and tells it like it is, so if you get a minute during your commute to work or when you're bored at home, take a listen.
I had been listening to the Rob Long Show this afternoon, and heard a Yankee fan call in who began claiming that Baltimore sports fans are fair-weather fans. To tell you the truth, I hear this A LOT from out-of-towners, and never really took it to heart because I know that is not the case. They look at how most of us feel about the Orioles nowadays, but I don't think that they fully grasp the situation that is happening down there at the Warehouse.
If you look back at the history of the Baltimore Orioles, we have been BLESSED to be graced with such a wonderful history that goes along with this franchise. Earl, Brooks, Frank, Boog, Cal, and all the great feelings and memories that go along with the mention of those names. But Peter Angelos has single-handily stripped this franchise of that nostalgia in many different ways, not to mention we haven't had a Baltimore baseball icon since Cal retired.
In my past blogs, I have made references to the lack of leadership on the field. Don't get me wrong; I watch every game, root my heart out, and probably care too much about the O's. I love Roberts, Markakis, Bedard, Patterson, Hernandez, Millar...basically the players who give a crap, and that seems to be the majority. In fact, I feel that one day Markakis or Roberts may move into that icon role, but with the situation at hand, you have to blame the owner for the depleting fan base. Peter Angelos is the raison d'être for this fair-weather fan notion.
Angelos fired the voice of the Orioles, John Miller, who will probably be in the Hall of Fame someday. He's so good that ESPN picked him up to do some broadcasting, which speaks volumes about his talent. And Angelos made it personal with Miller, but that's a different story. He fired Davey Johnson, who, in my opinion, was the best manager we had since Earl Weaver. And why did he get fired? Because of "personal matters" between he and Angelos. But when Davey was here, the ORIOLES WERE WINNING! Wow, what a concept. And they were winning with a team that was being paid less money than the team we have now who just embarrassed themselves north of the border earlier this week.
He has refused, and from what the Orioles office is telling the media is still going to refuse, to put "Baltimore" on the away jerseys. The city and the fans deserve to be represented on the away jerseys. And, frankly, he has been nothing less than a jerk to the media and to the fans of the birds. Most importantly, he has refused to shell out the money that he certainly has and hire the proper personnel to field a competitive team in the AL East. When he decides to not pinch pennies, he spends money unwisely (see Sammy Sosa, Danys Baez, etc.).
That is the cliff notes version of what Angelos has done to this franchise. For those who are in the know, this sounds like a broken record. We've all heard this before, but it all relates to the reason why Camden Yards, which is one of the most beautiful ballparks in the majors, is struggling to put people in the seats. But so do the Nationals, who were begging for a team for about 20 years, and STILL struggle to put 10,000 people in the stadium each night. And even for the Yankees or the Red Sox fans, their attendance numbers declined when they were losing. For the Yankees, their big attendance boom came in Derek Jeter's rookie year. The Chicago Cubs consistently sell out Wrigley Field, and unless you've been living under a rock, you know about their current situation.
Basically what I'm getting at is that every situation is unique. Baltimore sports fans are very knowledgeable about what's going on down there off of I-395. It's not that Baltimore fans are fair-weather fans, it's that, for some fans, not going to the games is the only way to show the owner that we do not approve of his actions, and that he is ruining a franchise that we all hold close to our hearts. Say what you will about the current team and the owner, but I think we all get a little giddy when the Orioles go on a winning streak (see Spring/Early Summer 2005). That attests to the fact that we DO care, we still LOVE the Orioles, but there needs to be a change. People that call us fair-weather fans simply do not fully understand or fully appreciate what is going on down there at the Warehouse.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Cabrera puts forth a solid effort, but Toronto clinches series win
Twenty-two year old Jesse Litsch, pulled up from Toronto's AA affiliate because of Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay's appendicitis, gets the win in his first major league start tonight...and you can't help but feel good for the kid, especially with his old man watching and cheering him on like it was a little league game.
I counted 21 ground ball outs coming off of Orioles bats...that statistic attests more to Litsch's great outing than the Orioles abysmal hitting approach...besides Roberts, who was consistently working the count out there tonight? But there really wasn't much we could do offensively...our best chance for a big inning came in the first, but Tejada's GIDP (the first of two) took the wind out of our sails, on the first pitch no less! That first inning was our only real shot at getting to this kid...he looked rattled and nervous that inning, and instead of capitalizing on that situation, Tejada swings at the first sinking fastball he sees. Aaron Hill also displayed some stellar defense to aid the young hurler's first win.
Jim Hunter called Daniel Cabrera's stuff "dominant" tonight during the post game, but really how dominant was he? Sure, he only gave up two earned runs and pitched an eight inning game, but, once again, the walks caused the loss. The difference in this game was that one of his walks scored the winning run...that doesn't seem so dominant to me. He pitched well enough to win, but I wouldn't call it dominant, Jimmy. If he pitches like that 9 out of 10 games he gets the W, but I feel like the bad karma of the past two games carried over into this one tonight. Who would have thought that a 22 year old Irish kid would come in and dominate an Orioles line up littered with players who have some serious power, especially when playing at the Rogers Centre where my sister could crank one out over the right field wall...and its not like he had overpowering stuff! His fast ball was hovering around 89-92 mph all night long. It was just perfect location, changing speeds, and some great defense behind him.
It's just plain bad luck...that seems to be the story of the year for the Orioles' deflated pitching staff. It's the little things that kill this team...situational stuff like walking the lead off batter and not throwing first pitch strikes when runners are in scoring position; although, first pitch strikes should be a common occurrence no matter the base running situation if this pitching staff wants to be successful. Our staff has recently not been throwing first pitch strikes, from Bedard to Ray, and that is something you won't find in the box score that is really hurting this team and directly correlates to all of the free passes and the last four losses.
I counted 21 ground ball outs coming off of Orioles bats...that statistic attests more to Litsch's great outing than the Orioles abysmal hitting approach...besides Roberts, who was consistently working the count out there tonight? But there really wasn't much we could do offensively...our best chance for a big inning came in the first, but Tejada's GIDP (the first of two) took the wind out of our sails, on the first pitch no less! That first inning was our only real shot at getting to this kid...he looked rattled and nervous that inning, and instead of capitalizing on that situation, Tejada swings at the first sinking fastball he sees. Aaron Hill also displayed some stellar defense to aid the young hurler's first win.
Jim Hunter called Daniel Cabrera's stuff "dominant" tonight during the post game, but really how dominant was he? Sure, he only gave up two earned runs and pitched an eight inning game, but, once again, the walks caused the loss. The difference in this game was that one of his walks scored the winning run...that doesn't seem so dominant to me. He pitched well enough to win, but I wouldn't call it dominant, Jimmy. If he pitches like that 9 out of 10 games he gets the W, but I feel like the bad karma of the past two games carried over into this one tonight. Who would have thought that a 22 year old Irish kid would come in and dominate an Orioles line up littered with players who have some serious power, especially when playing at the Rogers Centre where my sister could crank one out over the right field wall...and its not like he had overpowering stuff! His fast ball was hovering around 89-92 mph all night long. It was just perfect location, changing speeds, and some great defense behind him.
It's just plain bad luck...that seems to be the story of the year for the Orioles' deflated pitching staff. It's the little things that kill this team...situational stuff like walking the lead off batter and not throwing first pitch strikes when runners are in scoring position; although, first pitch strikes should be a common occurrence no matter the base running situation if this pitching staff wants to be successful. Our staff has recently not been throwing first pitch strikes, from Bedard to Ray, and that is something you won't find in the box score that is really hurting this team and directly correlates to all of the free passes and the last four losses.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse...
This just in...the Orioles are a franchise in disarray
All kidding aside, tonight's game could very well have been the turning point in another dismal season for a plummeting franchise. The day after one of the most devastating regular season losses in franchise history, Melvin Mora and Jay Payton had to be restrained from fighting each other tonight in Toronto.
They should be downright ashamed of themselves! That childish display after yet another bullpen blunder was the most atrocious incident that I have witnessed. What were they thinking? There is absolutely no reason for two teammates to nearly come to blows, and in front of the cameras no less! I can honestly say that was the first time I have ever been embarrassed to be an Orioles fan. Hard to believe, isn't it? Especially considering the O-birds track record over the past decade. But tonight, Mora and Payton embarrassed themselves, the franchise, the city, and the fans.
And kudos to Buck Martinez and Gary Thorne for dragging out this awful scenario after the game. They put Sam Perlozzo in the worst position possible...I'm sure Mr. Angelos was real happy with that occurrence. Bash the manager during the post game show! That'll put fans back in the seats! Now that's good marketing. But that incident epitomized MASN's horrendous display of broadcasting that has been occurring all season.
Sure, the O's are in third place, hovering around .500, and only a half game behind the hated Yankees. Mathematically, they are by no means eliminated from playoff contention. Then again, so is every other team in the league. But if you follow this team, you know that these guys have no shot at contending for a playoff spot...and the reason goes much deeper than the bullpen or the inconsistent hitting.
Where is the leadership on this team? I'm not talking about Perlozzo...his shortcomings are blatantly obvious, and it would be redundant to highlight all the mistakes he has made over the course of this short season, most notably pulling Guthrie last night. He put some inspirational pitching on display! But I digress...
I am pointing the finger at THE PLAYERS...that's right, not Angelos, nor Duquette, nor Flanagan. It's time for the players to become accountable for their actions. Everyone knows Perlozzo should not be managing this club and Peter Angelos' miscues are well documented.
But forget the coaching blunders and the front office for a moment. It's simple...you cannot be a successful team without proper on field leadership. So who is the leader? It's certainly not Miguel Tejada, the one-time MVP who no longer cares enough or respects the Hall of Famers who once donned the Orioles jersey to run out a freakin' ground ball. Could it be Kevin Millar? Maybe...he's personable, knowledgeable, respectable, works hard, and it's obvious that he loves the game of baseball. But he isn't in the line up everyday, so how much can the guy really do? Not to mention, most people will remember him for his role in the Red Sox 2004 World Series run, not as an Oriole.
Markakis or Roberts? These two are the future of our franchise. They are the young, homegrown, five-tool players with tons of potential that give O's fans hope for the future, but they are too young and too passive.
Can you imagine an incident like this happening when Cal was playing? Could you see Brooks Robinson and Paul Blair needing separation after a bad loss in '66? Certainly not...that is because those teams had something the current Orioles do not have: solid unwavering leadership ON THE FIELD. They had the character, the poise, and enough respect for the game not to turn it into an intrasquad WWE match. Leadership from the coaches and the owners box only go so far when it comes to altercations, especially when Peter Angelos is running the roost...thankfully, I'm pretty sure people aren't looking to him for leadership.
Of course I will continue to root for the Orioles for the remainder of the baseball season...or until they fall so far out of the race that the Ravens minicamps begin to garner most of my attention.
All kidding aside, tonight's game could very well have been the turning point in another dismal season for a plummeting franchise. The day after one of the most devastating regular season losses in franchise history, Melvin Mora and Jay Payton had to be restrained from fighting each other tonight in Toronto.
They should be downright ashamed of themselves! That childish display after yet another bullpen blunder was the most atrocious incident that I have witnessed. What were they thinking? There is absolutely no reason for two teammates to nearly come to blows, and in front of the cameras no less! I can honestly say that was the first time I have ever been embarrassed to be an Orioles fan. Hard to believe, isn't it? Especially considering the O-birds track record over the past decade. But tonight, Mora and Payton embarrassed themselves, the franchise, the city, and the fans.
And kudos to Buck Martinez and Gary Thorne for dragging out this awful scenario after the game. They put Sam Perlozzo in the worst position possible...I'm sure Mr. Angelos was real happy with that occurrence. Bash the manager during the post game show! That'll put fans back in the seats! Now that's good marketing. But that incident epitomized MASN's horrendous display of broadcasting that has been occurring all season.
Sure, the O's are in third place, hovering around .500, and only a half game behind the hated Yankees. Mathematically, they are by no means eliminated from playoff contention. Then again, so is every other team in the league. But if you follow this team, you know that these guys have no shot at contending for a playoff spot...and the reason goes much deeper than the bullpen or the inconsistent hitting.
Where is the leadership on this team? I'm not talking about Perlozzo...his shortcomings are blatantly obvious, and it would be redundant to highlight all the mistakes he has made over the course of this short season, most notably pulling Guthrie last night. He put some inspirational pitching on display! But I digress...
I am pointing the finger at THE PLAYERS...that's right, not Angelos, nor Duquette, nor Flanagan. It's time for the players to become accountable for their actions. Everyone knows Perlozzo should not be managing this club and Peter Angelos' miscues are well documented.
But forget the coaching blunders and the front office for a moment. It's simple...you cannot be a successful team without proper on field leadership. So who is the leader? It's certainly not Miguel Tejada, the one-time MVP who no longer cares enough or respects the Hall of Famers who once donned the Orioles jersey to run out a freakin' ground ball. Could it be Kevin Millar? Maybe...he's personable, knowledgeable, respectable, works hard, and it's obvious that he loves the game of baseball. But he isn't in the line up everyday, so how much can the guy really do? Not to mention, most people will remember him for his role in the Red Sox 2004 World Series run, not as an Oriole.
Markakis or Roberts? These two are the future of our franchise. They are the young, homegrown, five-tool players with tons of potential that give O's fans hope for the future, but they are too young and too passive.
Can you imagine an incident like this happening when Cal was playing? Could you see Brooks Robinson and Paul Blair needing separation after a bad loss in '66? Certainly not...that is because those teams had something the current Orioles do not have: solid unwavering leadership ON THE FIELD. They had the character, the poise, and enough respect for the game not to turn it into an intrasquad WWE match. Leadership from the coaches and the owners box only go so far when it comes to altercations, especially when Peter Angelos is running the roost...thankfully, I'm pretty sure people aren't looking to him for leadership.
Of course I will continue to root for the Orioles for the remainder of the baseball season...or until they fall so far out of the race that the Ravens minicamps begin to garner most of my attention.
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