It is getting increasingly difficult to discuss the Orioles in a meaningful fashion. Last night, the O's hit SIX home runs (two by Miguel Tejada) against Tampa Bay and still lost when the Baltimore bullpen gave up 11 runs in the eighth inning.

Incredibly, a string of four relief pitchers managed to exceed the bullpen's own low point -- in a single homestand, no less -- established when it gave up 10 runs in a single inning just a week ago against Texas. The final tally last night was, 15-8. The Orioles' losing streak stands at seven. And what we're imaging here is this: What if comedian Bob Newhart were the bullpen coach who answered the telephone when manager Dave Trembley called for help?

RRRRIIINNNGGG:  Hello, Orioles bullpen, it's your dime.  Oh, hi, Dave, how are you? Oh, not so good, huh.  Sorry to hear that Dave.  ... Yeah, we can hear the booing out here, too. Well, you know what I say -- just as long as they stay in the stands (chuckle). ... No, I guess it's not so funny. ...  So, what can we do you for you, Dave? ... You need a pitcher. Well, Dave, I know that's why we're here, but this is the fourth time this inning. You know, it's not like there's a pitcher under every rock, Dave. ...  What's that? Leo says he sometimes wonders whether some of ours crawled out from underneath one. ... Well, OK, let's see what we have here. ... A left-handed pitcher? No, Dave, we don't have any left-handed pitchers left. ... But I do have a groundskeeper here who is holding a rake in his left hand. I'm not sure about his breaking ball, but if you need a baseline freshened up, he's a dazzler, I'll ya. ... Yeah, well you have a good one, too, Dave. Bye.

* And in places where baseball games count, the Yankees began what may be a futile quest to catch the Red Sox by beating Boston, 5-3, in the first game of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. Andy Pettitte won his sixth game in August as Johnny Damon bedeviled his old team with a two-run homer that broke a 3-3 tie in the  bottom of the seventh. Pettitte, in his six starts covering 42 innings in August, has given up 11 runs. Eleven runs. That number sounds familiar. Except in Pettitte's case, it is a month's worth of starts. The Yankees are still seven games behind AL East-leading Boston but just a game behind Seattle for the wild card.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

New York begins a three-game series with Boston tonight at Yankee Stadium that could be do-or-die for the Yankees. At least in terms of the AL East title. 

The Yanks trail the Red Sox by eight games going into the three-game set. They need to sweep to have any realistic chance of catching Boston. In fact, with the Red Sox putting Dice-K, Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling on the mound during the next three nights, the Yanks could find themselves wounded as well in the wild-card fight, where they already trail Seattle by two games and have Detroit breathing down their necks.

The Yanks' Andy Pettitte goes against Daisuke Matsuzaka tonight. It's Beckett vs. Roger Clemens tomorrow. And Schilling faces Chien-Ming Wang on Thursday.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:37 PM | Permalink
                    

As the U.S. Open got under way in Flushing, N.Y., Althea Gibson was being honored for her pioneering efforts in tennis.  Gibson was the first African-American to enter and win titles at both Wimbledon and the tournament now known as the U.S. Open. The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, were part of that tribute to Gibson yesterday in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Gibson's first of two U.S. Open titles.

Serena was the first African-American woman since Gibson to win the U.S. Open (1999) and Venus was the first African-American woman since Gibson to take the championship at Wimbledon (2000). Since then, the Williams sisters have won six of the last eight Wimbledon titles and four of the last eight U.S. Open titles

Both have been nursing injuries but each won yesterday. Here's a musical look at Serena, courtesy of Nike.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:00 PM | Permalink
                    

Why would we choose to make fun of Brady Quinn? Because it's so easy. The guy will probably go to umpteen Pro Bowls or something, but at the moment, he's a wedgie waiting to happen.

The Browns rookie quarterback now sports a no-hair hairdo, which is actually an improvement over some of his previous styles. So being the mean kids that we are, here are some of Quinn's previous looks.

The All-American guy.

The "Is this electric socket LIIIIIVE????????" 

The early Beatles.

The Village People.

And the "Aren't I adorable?"

Photo credit: for photo at right, Michael Conroy/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Speaking of fancy cars that go fast and wind up in wrecks, that $350,000 Lamborghini registered to Bears linebacker Lance Briggs that was found yesterday just after 3 a.m. smashed on a Chicago freeway was, in fact, being driven by Briggs. He finally chatted with police about it yesterday and the Bears are saying, so far, that the star linebacker will not be disciplined.

Briggs was unhurt, there was no evidence of alcohol use at the accident scene, police said, and Briggs faces a minor misdemeanor charge and two tickets.

The misdemeanor is for leaving the scene of an accident. One ticket is for failing to immediately notify police of the accident. And the other ticket is for -- and this one is the kicker -- improper lane usage. Yeah, the police frown on folks using that lane the state reserves for guardrails.

Photo credit: Associated Press

 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Following Dale Earnhardt Jr. 's car number soap opera is a little like watching a roulette ball dance across the wheel. 

It's going to be 8.  No, it's 81.  Wait, it's going to be 38. Or maybe 83.

At any rate, Earnhardt the Younger -- after leaving DEI and having to relinquish his own familiar No. 8 as he joins Hendrick Mororsports for next season -- has been  trying to come up with a new number that would resonate with his fans. Not to mention somehow salvage all those No. 8 tattoos out there in NASCAR-land.

At first, there was speculation that it would be No. 81 -- probably the best solution for the tats.  Now, in a nod to family legacy, there's word that Dale Jr. will go with either No. 38 or No. 83. In either case, it would include the No. 8 with which he has become associated and honors his grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, and the No. 3 that, of course, belonged to his late famous father, Dale Sr.

Robert Yates Racing currently has the No. 38 and Red Bull Racing has the No. 83. Negotiations with Teresa Earnhardt, Dale Jr's stepmother who runs DEI, failed to produce a deal to transfer the No. 8.

One more thing, I don't think the M&Ms come with the No. 38 -- at least they better not or they may be hearing from Dale Sr. from beyond the veil.

Photo credit:  Getty Images & NASCAR

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

While the foundering Orioles were idle yesterday and possibly thinking about how the upcoming series against lowly Tampa Bay might be their last opportunity to restore the respectability they appeared to achieve when they started well under manager Dave Trembley, former Baltimore pitcher Mike Mussina may be looking at the end of his career. At the very least, he may have seen his last game as a starter for the Yankees. 

Mussina lost his third blowout in a row, 16-0, to the Tigers in Detroit. In his last three starts, in which he has pitched 9 2/3 innings, Mussina (8-10) has given up 19 earned runs, 25 hits and five walks. Not surprisingly, New York has lost all three. With the Yanks in a scramble for the AL wild card, manager Joe Torre has to decide whether he wants to keep handing the ball to the 38-year-old Mussina. He was non-committal last night.

For his part, Mussina said: "I can't believe in three starts that I forgot how to pitch after 17 years so I just hope (Torre) has confidence enough in me to keep sending me out there and let me figure this out. ... But at the same time, we've got to win ballgames and I'll understand if he thinks that we need to do something else."

*  In Houston, Astros manager Phil Garner discovered that owner Drayton McLane is a "what have you done for me lately" kinda guy. After Garner managed Houston to wild-card finishes in 2004 and '05 (going to the World Series two years ago) and came within a whisker of winning the NL Central last season, he was fired yesterday with the team 15 games under .500. Also dispatched was general manager Tim Purpura. Some offseason moves backfired on the Astros, such as the trade for pitcher Jason Jennings (out with elbow problems after winning just two games).  Although Garner had a 277-252 record with Houston, this figures to be only the second time since McLane bought the team 14 years ago that the Astros will finish with a losing record. And McLane doesn't have any patience for losing.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:42 AM | Permalink
                    

Like a lot of people familiar with the NFL, I've always had a lot of respect for Rich McKay, the president and general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. Smart guy and gracious. But the Michael Vick situation has left that franchise as a fan's nightmare, and McKay (below) and owner Arthur Blank deserve a lot of the blame for the fix that team finds itself in.

There's no question in my mind that the Falcons have no shot to make the playoffs again for the rest of this decade. Short of a Lazarus-like rise like the Saints pulled of last year (and I don't see anyone resembling Drew Brees or Reggie Bush or Deuce McAllister on that Atlanta roster), the Falcons are years away from contending.

Just break down that Atlanta team. The quarterback is Joey Harrington, who has been reduced to a journeyman at best.  His backup is Chris Redman. Enough said.

Most of the team's stars are at the end -- I mean the tail end -- of their careers. Wide receiver Joe Horn (15th season), heroic little guy Warrick Dunn (13th season), Pro Bowl tight end Alge Crumpler may still has some tread (8th), the offensive line averages more than 10 years with the exception of guard Justin Blalock, MLB Keith Brooking (11th), CB Lawyer Malloy (13th), oft-injured DE John Abraham (9th). It goes on and on. On a contender, the experience and leadership that goes along with age might be a plus. But that's not the Falcons. And too many recent high draft picks, like WR Michael Jenkins, have been disappointments.

Owner Blank said today that the Falcons aren't cutting Vick -- at least not yet.  Reportedly, they are trying to get $22 million back and have their salary cap adjusted by the league. But the only reason to hang on to Vick is to trade him for a low-round draft pick if he's ever allowed to play again. There's no planning for his return, certainly not by the Falcons. By the time Vick is released, from prison that is, the Falcons will have already traded or signed as a free agent their next real quarterback.

So, what were these guys thinking when they traded QB Matt Schaub to Houston in the spring? The only thing I can think of is that before the Vick debacle they didn't want the press constantly writing about how they were starting the wrong quarterback. Well, that's not a worry anymore.

Photo credit:  Matt York/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:50 PM | Permalink
                    

A Lamborghini sports car belonging to Bears linebacker Lance Briggs was discovered early this morning near a Chicago freeway with some of its sheet metal wrinkled. Actually, it's busted up pretty good. No one was with the car when it was found and police have said it doesn't appear anyone was injured. Here's a video report on the accident. The car is reportedly worth about $350,000.

While the early news report here says a Bears spokesman could not be reached for comment, in later reports, a team representative said that Briggs was at Halas Hall at the team training facility in Lake Forest, Ill., this morning. He is apparently unhurt, but it's still unclear who was driving the car. Briggs was in a contract dispute with the Bears and eventually accepted a one-year, $7.2 million contract.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Michael Vick did about the only thing he could do after pleading guilty in Richmond federal court today. He took responsibility for his involvement in dogfighting, apologized for those acts and for lying about it to the NFL and his team, admitted to being "immature" and promised to redeem himself. He also said that he has turned over his life to God.

The Falcons are expected to hold a news conference later today.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:01 PM | Permalink
                    

Tired of Michael Vick and assorted unpleasantness in the sports world?

Me, too.

So, for today's lunchtime music video, we're going with something decidedly more upbeat from a gentler, simpler time. Here's a clip from a 1949 Busby Berkeley feel-good charmer starring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly as old-time baseball players (Ryan & O'Brien) -- the keystone combination as they put it in the old days -- who also happen to be song-and-dance vaudevillians. Plausible, right? Who cares. It was fun. Esther Wiliams is in it, too.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:43 AM | Permalink
                    

Michael Vick's plea day is beginning to unfold.

Vick appeared today in federal court, where he formally entered his guilty plea and heard Judge Henry E. Hudson warn that he could impose the maximum sentence of five years and that Vick would have no right of appeal. It would certainly be surprising if Vick got the max. The popular  speculation is that prosecutors will suggest a 12- to 18-month sentence.

Vick is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10. Since time is crucial to Vick, he'll want to begin serving as soon as practical. There were apparently Vick supporters and detractors awaiting his courthouse arrival today. He showed up in a SUV and was escorted by attorneys.

At 11:30 a.m., Vick is supposed to make a public statement and take no questions. Falcons management will have its own news conference at 12:30 p.m. Then, in an odd twist, the Falcons play a home preseason game against the Bengals tonight (8 p.m., ESPN).

We'll pass along updates as we get them.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Early last week, when colleague Childs Walker was filling in here, he gave advance notice of a UFC bout on Saturday night between heavyweight champion Randy Couture and challenger Gabriel Gonzaga. The bout was particular compelling because Couture is 44, and the 28-year-old Gonzaga was considered an extremely dangerous opponent.

It turned out that Childs Walker dispensed some good advice. UFC heavyweight champion Couture (left), despite his age and size (6 feet 1, 205 pounds), relied on his Greco-Roman wrestling background to wear down not only a younger but bigger (6-2, 252) Gonzaga and force an end to the fight in the third round.

I'm certainly no expert on mixed martial arts -- the scoring, so far, escapes me. But I do think it's obvious that MMA has come a long way since its early manifestations as an ultra-violent, no-rules Fight Night sideshow. There's no question that it's a brutally physical competition, but it's also true that the athletes display extraordinary technique that removes it by miles from its infancy as simply brawling. And that an athlete approaching middle age can compete, and compete successfully, against very good, younger athletes indicates to me that this is a discipline in which skill, experience and technique can carry the day.

Photo credit: Josh Hedges/UFC and newsday.com

  

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:55 AM | Permalink
                    

I'm not going to indulge in the obvious shots that can be taken at Denver running back Travis Henry. In case you missed it over the weekend, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Henry has fathered nine children by nine different women and has been ordered to pay child support to at least seven of them.

The news account went into some details that were not flattering from Henry's perspective -- that he spent $100,000 on a car and more than that on jewelry and yet was falling behind on court-ordered child support. There may be plenty of room for a screed on moral responsibility, but that's not my point here.

My point is about the NFL's personal conduct policy and how "personal" commissioner Roger Goodell plans to be, or should be, in disciplining players who discredit the league. In the case of Henry (right), I'm not necessarily bringing into the debate his social behavior. Rather, it's the issue of failing to comply with court mandates (paying child support) in a timely fashion linked to this serial behavior. Now maybe Henry is making good-faith efforts to follow various judges' orders, but this certainly isn't a secret in NFL front offices -- he had to borrow money from his former team, the Titans, to make some payments -- and shouldn't this warrant a trip to Park Avenue (where the NFL has its headquarters).

Believe me, I'm not being an apologist here for Adam "Pacman" Jones, but let's remember that Goodell had sent him into exile before the Tennessee cornerback had been convicted of anything. Granted, Jones, with his numerous police contacts, has put himself in a position where he deserved the commissioner's scrutiny and  perhaps even the year-long ban. But when situations like the one concerning Travis Henry come up, it makes you wonder to what lengths Goodell is willing to go to clean up the conduct of players in his league and the NFL's image. It's an admirable ambition on Goodell's part, but the lines aren't clearly drawn.

Photo credit: Matt Slocum/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

There's not a great deal more to be said about the Orioles yesterday, or the day before, or most of last week, than what Sun sports writer Roch Kubatko said in today's account of Baltimore's sixth straight loss, an 11-3 defeat to Minnesota.

Kubatko detailed the wreckage that has occurred at Camden Yards since Dave Trembley's good efforts were rewarded with an extension to manage through 2008. The O's have been outscored, 70-20 (including the historic 30-3 game against Texas). Yesterday's game seemed to sum it all up because even two performers that the Orioles and their fans have come to count on were stymied. Starter Erik Bedard saw his streak of consecutive winning decisions end at nine and Kevin Millar's club record 52 straight games of reaching base ended when Twins outfielder Torii Hunter went above the fence to keep a Millar drive from leaving the park.

More than 30,000 fans showed up to watch Bedard break Mike Mussina's club record for strikeouts in a season and now that the Orioles are once more hopelessly under the .500 water line, you can figure that Camden Yards will be a ghost town except for when the Yankees and Red Sox visit in September. 

* Like a lot of sports fans, I watched bits and pieces of the Little League World Series and then started focusing on the final games. And, of course, that was a terrific finish to yesterday's championship as the team from Georgia (Warner Robins) edged the squad from Tokyo, 3-2, on Dalton Carriker's home run. But what stood out about that whole thing was the dignified way those 12-year-olds carried themselves (notice how quickly they trotted back to the dugout after a strikeout) and yet you realize that they are still very much children. Young Dalton, for instance, saying he felt like Peter Pan rounding the bases. I didn't think kids these days even knew about Peter Pan.  And on the other side, you have to feel terrible for the 12-year-old from Japan who gave up the winning homer. His coach consoled him, saying, "I told him that he has a bright future and not to let this homer affect that." And suddenly, you realize the impact that something like this can have on a child, especially in a culture known for accepting personal responsibility deeply.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:54 AM | Permalink
                    

Michael Vick's plea agreement and the summary of facts that accompanied that plea were filed in Richmond federal court today.

Vick is pleading guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to operate the dogfighting operation that took place across state lines. In the statement of facts, Vick specifically denies making side bets on the fights or collecting purses from the fights. He admits to being aware of the killing of several dogs that did not perform well, and that there was a "collective effort," which included two of his co-defendants, involved in the killing of animals earlier this year. Dogs were hanged and drowned.

Vick will make his appearance in court on Monday to plead guilty. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to five years, but it has been reported that he'll more likely be sentenced to 12 to 18 months in prison.

The gambling accusation was especially worrisome for the Vick camp because it could prompt a long or even a lifetime ban from the NFL. There is still much left to be resolved in the Vick case. The state of Virginia still may prosecute and the NFL has been conducting its own investigation. So the results of further events and inquiries could affect whether Vick will play pro football again. Here's both the summary of facts and plea agreement.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:13 PM | Permalink
                    

Fans whose blood runs purple have a chance to be a star on Monday Night Football by producing their own video where they show their loyalty to the Ravens.  ESPN is accepting submissions of fan videos that highlight the teams playing the following week -- fans get to make their point about why their own team will win. A video from each side will be shown during the preceding week's MNF game.

So during the final Monday night preseason game this coming Monday, Aug. 27, ESPN will select its first videos for the Sept. 10 double-header which will be Ravens-Bengals and Cardinals-49ers. Here's a link to find out more about how to enter.

And for a little inspiration, here's a video celebrating Raven's Nation from the folks at pro football 24x7.

Photo credit: Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun

 

 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:32 AM | Permalink
                    

When last we left David Beckham, the much-hyped soccer superstar import was nursing a gimpy ankle and disappointing fans who had wasted a week's grocery money on tickets to not see him play. By and large, he was living the Beverly Hills life of a slick marketing tool whose actual athletic prowess in a sport that's a hard sell in the U.S. remained a rumor.

Well, let's you bring up to speed. Beckham has played a bit for the American team that's reportedly paying him about $5 million a year and has actually scored and made a few assists. And now, he's not only playing but doing so for two teams on TWO continents -- the L.A. Galaxy of the MLS here in the states and for England. Beckham made a 30-hour turnaround, playing first at Wembley Stadium against Germany and then for the Galaxy against Chivas last night.

The Galaxy was pummeled by Chivas, 3-0, with the excitement being that Beckham was in the middle of a bit of unpleasantness that resulted in two other players being ejected. A Chivas player, Jesse Marsch, caught Beckham in the tummy with a kick (they're shown discussing current events at left; Beckham is in the white). There was pushing and shoving and two players, neither one Beckham nor Marsch, scuffled and were red-carded.

By the way, the other team Beckham played for, England, also lost, 2-1, to Germany.

 So explain to me again why he's getting all this money.

Photo credit: Lori Shepler/LAT

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

If the latest being reported in the Michael Vick case is true, the quarterback's lawyers will have certainly earned their money.

There are reports that the summary of facts that are part of Vick's guilty plea next week will not include admissions that he personally killed animals or that he gambled on the dogfights. Either one of those admissions would certainly increase his chances that he'd face a a lengthy, perhaps lifetime, ban from the NFL once he's released from prison. This doesn't mean that Vick is out of the woods concerning either of those problems, though. Remember that the NFL has its own former federal prosecutor sleuthing the case, and he might come up with evidence that Vick's conduct went beyond the formal guilty plea and, as a result, the NFL could base its discipline on its own findings rather than what Vick concedes to in his plea.

Meanwhile, the deadline imposed for anyone claiming ownership of the dogs seized at Vick's Surry County, Va., property passed yesterday. The federal government is trying to intercede here and have the dogs become the property of the United States. If that happened, it's possible they could then be moved to refuges and cared for indefinitely because they're not considered appropriate for adoption as pets.

One person who is trying to find out whether some of the more than 50 animals may belong to him is a Baltimore man, Robert Beno. Beno told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that some mixed breed puppies of his had been stolen, and he was concerned that they may be among the group of dogs tied to Vick.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:05 AM | Permalink
                    

Speaking of the Orioles and adding players for next year and everything, a guy already on the roster who is MIA at the moment but could come back is pitcher Kris Benson.  And perhaps almost as importantly, that would also mean the return of the colorful Mrs. Benson, who was quite the headline grabber back in the day.  Well, the Bugs and Cranks blog did a little "Where are they Now" Q&A with Anna Benson, getting an update on how the couple is faring while pitcher Benson is on the mend (that's Kris and Anna at right). It's a G-rated session where Anna is on her best behavior.

I guess that's good news.

Photo credit: Jennifer Szymaszek/AP

 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The Orioles are on a dangerous and slippery path right now. A dubious distinction of the first portion of the season -- the ugly start that got Sam Perlozzo fired --  was that the Orioles actually held the lead in umpteen games they eventually lost.

In this three-game losing streak, even the 27-run drubbing two nights ago, Baltimore has had the lead all three times and has gone on to essentially be out of it by its final at-bat.

Last night, the O's were clinging to a one-run lead through the seventh inning before a combination of bad luck, a little shaky pitching and some fielding problems had them behind the eight-ball again. And it's not as if the bullpen is horrible, the way it was in the first couple of months. It's really the flip side of what good teams do -- which is get a hit at just the right moment or make a play when it's absolutely needed. The Orioles are doing the opposite. Last night, it was an ill-timed walk and a wild pitch by starter Steve Trachsel, who otherwise was having a good outing, and a bases-loaded, two-out boot by shortstop Miguel Tejada that led to a 5-2 loss to Minnesota.

When the Orioles were getting it together after the All Star break, there was a feeling locally that this team might be a free agent or two away from contending for a playoff spot next year. The belief is that a genuine power hitter could add enough wins to put the team in contention. That may be true, but the O's also have to show that they can consistently do the things that good teams do to win games rather than fall victim to the circumstances that lead bad teams to lose them.

*  Case in point: Yesterday, Cleveland was facing a dominating performance by Detroit starter Nate Roberston, who threw 8 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. But their own starter, Jake Westbrook, answered with eight innings of no-run ball himself. The Indians came up with three runs in the top of the 10th -- including a two-run hit from former Oriole Chris Gomez -- to win, 3-1, on the road. The Indians, who were struggling just a week ago, now have a 2 1/2-game lead over the Tigers in the AL Central. From late July to just about a week ago, Cleveland appeared to be in free-fall, going 5-11. But now they've won five of seven, including three over Detroit.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

There are a number of ways to look at last night's historic 30-3 Orioles' loss to the Texas Rangers. But the healthiest may be to appreciate it for the quirky and once-in-a-lifetime event it turned out to be. Consider this: What happened during that game was more rare than a no-hitter. And among the fans who were there was TV personality and Marylander Pat Sajak, who actually had this to say about the game, "Thank you." Here's Sajak's take on baseball, in general, and last night, in particular.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

One unfortunate aspect to the Michael Vick dogfighting case is scheduled to be resolved today  with sad finality. More than 50 dogs who were seized from Vick's property are scheduled to be euthanized. The major problem is that the dogs are generally not considered appropriate candidates for adoption as pets. Vick is expected to plead guilty to federal charges related to the dogfighting early next week and sentencing likely will follow in a few months.

However, the animals that were victimized had their sentences handed down when they first fell into the hands of the people who cynically exploited them.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Here's another YouTube phenomena. About a week ago, Ken Mann, of Coral Springs, Fla., posted an old home movie of daughter Carly playing flag football when she was 9 years old. Since then, the Carly highlight reel has raced across cyberspace like Reggie Bush in the open field.

I talked with Mr. Mann earlier today to help give the old video some context. The football scenes are from 1991, and Carly was the only girl in the league (and the No. 1 draft pick), according to her father. She played high school basketball and tennis but gave up organized sports when she attended the University of Florida. Carly, now 25, lives on the West Coast, where she works in the entertainment management industry and is currently traveling in Israel. More recently, she has limited her sports involvement to rec league basketball.

However, as a 9-year-old, she was NFL Films material.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Talk about being thrown into the deep end of the pool.

Maryland sophomore point guard Greivis Vasquez (left), playing for the Venezuelan national team, found himself going up against Kobe Bryant during yesterday's opening day of the Tournament of the Americas in Las Vegas. The U.S. won, 112-69, with Baltimore's Carmelo Anthony scoring 17 points.

Vasquez was realistic about the challenge, which was overwhelming. In a Los Angeles Times article, he had this colorful comment about Bryant.

"I grew up watching the NBA. I was in College Park, watching his highlights. All of a sudden, he was guarding me like it was the last game of his life."

Then Vasquez did a Scarlet O'Hara. "But tomorrow's another day. It's all good. I'm glad it happened."

Photo credit: Robin Scholz/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Forget the Tim Donaghy betting scandal and the NBA All-Star Game fiasco. Although some had opined that either or both of those things would stymie Las Vegas in landing a pro sports franchise, in the end they'll be merely blips on the radar screen. And the issue of legal sports wagering won't matter, either.

A major development was announced yesterday that, I think, almost guarantees that Vegas will have at least one if not two sports franchises by the end of the decade. Harrah's Entertainment and AEG, two heavyweights in the sports entertainment industry, announced a joint venture to build a $500 million 20,000-seat arena just east of the Las Vegas Strip (behind the Paris and Bally's casinos shown at right). It could be completed by 2010. This comes down to what are the most important things in sports (money) and in real estate (location).

Harrah's, which is being taken private by a pair of equity investment firms in a $17-plus billion deal, has been accumulating an impressive stretch of contiguous properties along the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard, running from the Paris casino to the south to the Harrah's Las Vegas to the north. In between are Bally's, the old Barbary Coast (now Bill's), the Imperial Palace, O'Shea's and the Flamingo. Across the street is another little place they own called Caesars Palace. AEG, a subsidiary of Denver billionaire Phillip Anschutz, owns the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team (David Beckham), the Staples Center in L.A. and brought Celine Dion and Bette Midler into Caesars Palace's big theater on the Strip. 

Until now, talk in Vegas has been about a downtown arena. Now, it's near the Strip within walking distance, a short cab ride and along a monorail route from 200,000 hotel rooms -- more by 2010. This is the stuff that will make league officials and owners light up like the Vegas night sky.

Photo credit: Francine Orr/LAT

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:02 AM | Permalink
                    

Call Tom Brady the best quarterback of his era. Call him a thee-time Super Bowl winner. Call him a future Hall of Famer.

And, now, call him Dad.

Brady's ex-girlfriend, Bridget Moynahan, (that's Brady and Moynahan at left) gave birth to the couple's much-anticipated baby yesterday. It's a boy but no details yet on weight, size or name. If you've been keeping up on your celebrity comings and goings, you may know that the quarterback -- who seems to grace the pages of as many fashion magazines as he does sports sections -- had ceased being an item with actress Moynahan back in December, after a three-year courtship and just before her pregnancy became known.

By that time, Brady was dating Brazilian mega-model Gisele Bundchen, who reportedly made $33 million in 2006 alone.  Bundchen, who carts boy-bauble Brady to places like London, Milan and Versailles like so much jewelry, has reportedly been buying gifts for Baby Brady and told an English tabloid that she's looking forward to becoming a "stepmum"  (which sorta implies marriage).

But you know, I'm not sure that Brady has said anything about marrying anyone.

Photo credit:  Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:16 AM | Permalink
                    

True story.

So I turn on the TV to catch what I figure is the end of the Orioles' first game of a twi-night doubleheader with the Rangers and see the little graphic scoreboard where the Orioles have three runs and it looks at first glance as if the Rangers have 10 because there are two digits and the second one is a zero.  But the first digit seems a bit squiggly. And I'm thinking maybe I need a contact lens change, although these are brand new. And so I squint. Wow, is that a 2? Then I hear Jim Palmer, I think, say 30.

At that point, you just appreciate the novelty of the situation. Chuckle to yourself about how maybe they should have mercy-ruled this thing after the Rangers' 10-run eighth. Or maybe how the Orioles' next fan giveaway ought to be hard hats if you're sitting in the outfield bleachers when the opposition is batting. Poor Dave Trembley, getting this booby prize on the night he was named the O's manager for 2008.

But the second game was far less charming. Losing by two runs, 9-7, to the AL West last-place Rangers -- who, let us recall, are hardly the '27 Yankees (they were near the bottom of the league in batting average when the evening began) -- was not amusing, just galling.

About the first game, the superlatives (all negative from the Orioles' point of view) go on and on.  Most runs scored by a major league team since 1900. The Rangers became only the second team in 50 years to have four players total four or more RBIs in a single game. Texas' 29 hits were a record for both clubs -- collected on the one side, allowed on the other.

OK, enough of that.

If you're an Orioles fan, it's the second game that's the real problem because it smacked of the first couple of months of the season when the Baltimore bullpen found leads as difficult to hang onto as a greased baseball. After the Orioles came back to finally take a 7-6 lead in the seventh inning, Jim Hoey promptly gave up three runs in the top of the eighth, which seemed to take the heart out of Baltimore. In their last two at-bats, the Orioles went meekly into that not-so good night.

Minnesota rolls into Camden Yards tonight and Dave Trembley has shown, if nothing else, he can patch this team's psyche following a tough stretch. He needs to do it again, and quickly, so that last night is shown to be what Orioles' fans hope it was -- an aberration, and not a harbinger.

*  One more observation. The Phillies' pitchers were twice as good as the Orioles' pitchers last night -- and Philadelphia lost, 15-3, to the Dodgers.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

As part of B.J. Surhoff's induction into the Orioles Hall of Fame, the popular and versatile player will appear Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards, where he'll participate in a question-and-answer session with fans and sign autographs. The event is free with a paid admission to the museum.

Surhoff played for 7 1/2 seasons here, 1996-2000 and 2003-2005. In 1999, he batted .309 with 207 hits, including 28 home runs, and drove in 107 runs. During his 19-year career, he also played with the Brewers and Braves. Having played every position except pitcher, he finished with a .282 average, more than 2,300 hits and 188 home runs.

Photo credit: Charles Krupa/AP

 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:04 PM | Permalink
                    

See, this is what happens when a man stands on principle!

Former NBA player Latrell Sprewell, who was once suspended for leaving fingerprints on coach P.J. Carlesimo's larynx, is facing the repossession of his beloved yacht, Milwaukee's Best. A Milwaukee native, Sprewell has not played in the NBA since the 2004-05 season when he rejected a three-year, $21-million contract extension from Minnesota, calling it insulting and saying with a straight face that he had a family to feed.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:46 PM | Permalink
                    

This is a story you'll be hearing about if Mike Flynt makes the Sul Ross State University football roster.

Flynt is a 5-foot-10, 200-pound walk-on at the Division III school --  maybe at Sul Ross everyone is a walk-on --  who is hoping that his intense conditioning will help him make the team despite a little rust. You see, Flynt is 59 -- as in years old.

Flynt played at Sul Ross, which is an Alpine, Texas, in his first go-round at college about 30, no make that nearly 40 years ago. But he was dismissed from the football team for a series of altercations. But Flynt is no ordinary 59-year-old specimen. He is the inventor of a physical training program that is used by military special ops types and has been the strength and conditioning coach at big-time places like Nebraska, Oregon and Texas A&M.

(Editor's note: Flynt was told he made the team later in the day.)

Photo credit: Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:56 PM | Permalink
                    

Usually, we run reader comments in the comments section under whatever entry generated the response. However, the following reader observation was sent to me as an e-mail and I thought it was interesting enough to warrant an entry of its own because it shed more light on Erik Bedard's performance this year.

Thanks to reader David Gerstman for passing it along.

From Mr. Gerstman

I realize that a pitcher's game score is a bit obscure, but it was developed by Bill James. I've been following Bedard's game scores since his masterpiece in Texas in July. This season he has 8 game scores of 75 or higher. That's more than any other AL pitcher. (Santana has 5.) And his 98 from that Texas game remains the top score in all the majors this year.

I realize that 75 is arbitrary, but if you look at game scores, 75 means that the other team probably has fewer than 5 hits, scored no more than 1 run and that the pitcher went at least 7 innings and probably had at least 7 strikeouts. In other words, it could be defined as a dominating performance. Bedard has had 8 of those, including one stretch of 3 in a row.

A pitcher's supposed to prevent baserunners and runs, and Bedard has been remarkable at that this year.

Reader JD asked for an explanation of the Bill James' game score metric. Actually, Childs Walker gave a fairly complete explanation earlier this week but to save folks the trouble of scrolling down, here's an explanation from the Baseball Almanac Web site:

"Start with 50 points. Add 1 point for each out recorded, (3 points per inning). Add 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed. Subtract 1 point for each walk."

More here.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Yesterday, Childs Walker reflected here on the passing of Baltimore's No. 1 sports fan, Wild Bill Hagy, "The Roar from 34." Hagy, who reigned from Section 34 at Memorial Stadium, died Monday morning.

We in the sports journalism business try to keep our eye on the ball when it comes to what this is all about -- and that's the fans. But in the day-to-day whirlwind of keeping track of game results, player movements and, unfortunately, court cases, the fans tend to get lost in the shuffle.

So we wanted to take an opportunity today at midday, when we usually offer a musical tune, to remember Wild Bill Hagy. This is an Evening Magazine piece from the late 1970s and not only does it capture Hagy, an authentic Baltimore personality, but the spirit of Orioles fans in an era that, at times, seems like a distant memory.

So here's hoisting a Natty Bo to Wild Bill and everyone who ever roared from Section 34, or anywhere else in Memorial Stadium.

O---R---I---O---L---E---S

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

An interesting note. On an evening when Orioles pitcher Erik Bedard tied Mike Mussina's team record for strikeouts in a season (218), Mussina was having a career-worst night, giving up seven runs in 1 2/3 innings as the Angels pounded the Yankees, 18-9, behind Garret Anderson's 10 RBIs.

While the Yankees were losing, the Red Sox were beating up on Tampa Bay (now more than 30 games under .500) and increasing their lead over New York in the AL East to six games. That doesn't mean that the Red Sox are assured of fending off the Yanks in the division. After all, the Yankees are still the Yankees and the Red Sox are still the Red Sox and the teams have six games left against each other.

But it would indicate that New York, after a furious run at first place following the All-Star beak, needs to focus on winning the wild card. In that regard, they have a four-game series coming up with Detroit and a three-games against Seattle in early September.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:34 AM | Permalink
                    

Obviously, NBC didn't hire Tiki Barber to simply discuss politics, fashion and food on the Today Show, and with a hand -- and voice -- still involved in the NFL as part of the network's pregame Sunday night telecasts, the former Giants running back (below) is certain to be heard from on a variety of football topics.

And frankly it would be surprising if one of Barber's frequent subjects and more pointed observations didn't involve his old team which, of course, is in the country's No. 1 TV market. That's just, as the saying goes, good television.

All of which brings us to Barber's remarks Sunday night during the Giants-Ravens game that New York quarterback Eli Manning lacked leadership qualities and that when Manning the Younger did try to assert himself last season, the effort was "comical." That was Barber's word. Comical.

Eli, certainly the quieter of the Manning brothers, actually spoke up for himself and, for the first time, ripped Barber for his announcement last year that he was retiring  -- while his team was fighting for the playoffs. What Eli didn't say was this: That Barber's announcement could have been interpreted as a calculated move based purely on self-interest that was meant to create bidding for his post-career services over the course of several months, even though it was potentially damaging to his team.

Photo credit:  Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:03 AM | Permalink
                    

Sun Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec has broken the story that the Orioles will retain interim manager Dave Trembley through the 2008 season and plan to announce that news at a press conference today.

Since Trembley took over following the firing of Sam Perlozzo, the Orioles are 29-25. Although that record in and of itself may not appear to be particularly striking, Jeff reports that new team president Andy MacPhail was more interested in three areas -- preparation, energy and effort. Most fans would probably agree that the club has shown improvement in all three categories, especially since the All-Star break.

Trembley (right) started 2007 as the Orioles' bullpen coach and field coordinator and had been a minor league manager for 20 of 22 seasons before this year. For those who have followed the Baltimore soap opera this season, they already know that Trembley has overcome enormous odds in earning this opportunity.  When he took over for Perlozzo in mid-June, it seemed that Trembley was only keeping the manager's seat warm for a few days or, perhaps, a week or so. MacPhail wanted to hire Yankees broadcaster and former Marlins manager Joe Girardi, but Girardi declined the invitation. Even then, it was far from certain that Trembley would keep the job for the rest of 2007 until MacPhail announced on July 31 that Trembley would manage through the current year. Over the last two months, Trembley has gained the confidence of the clubhouse, many fans and, more importantly, MacPhail.

Photo credit:  Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:04 AM | Permalink
                    

Talk about timing.

Baltimore pitching hero Erik Bedard will be at the Inner Harbor ESPN Zone at noon tomorrow, where he'll answer fan questions and sign autographs. An Orioles fan meet-and-greet series has been going on at the restaurant throughout the season and this would be an especially interesting one since the usually reserved Bedard is probably not quite the open book that someone such as Kevin Millar is.

Bedard, as we mentioned earlier this morning, has won his last nine decisions -- 13-4 overall -- is leading the American League in strikeouts with 218, tying a team record, and is a Cy Young Award candidate.  There are two more Q&A sessions scheduled with members of the Orioles' organization this season at the ESPN Zone, on Sept. 12 and Sept. 27.

For more information:  http://www.espnzone.com/baltimore/

Photo credit:  Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:46 AM | Permalink
                    

Good morning Baltimore, it's good to be back. And thanks to Childs Walker, baseball analyst extraordinaire, for his work pinch-hitting here the last two days.

The Orioles -- 6-2 winners over the Texas Rangers at soggy Camden Yards last night -- are playing well and although they're out of the playoff hunt, there is really too much at stake regarding the future to say that the season has been reduced to charting individual achievements -- at least not yet.

But it is nice to reflect on Erik Bedard's chances to win the AL Cy Young Award. Last night, he struck out 11 Rangers over seven innings, making the Texas Rangers appear helpless at times on a variety of pitches. There was a time in a distant, foggy past when the O's owned the Cy Young.  In a 12-year stretch from 1969 through '80, four Baltimore pitchers took home the honors a total of six times -- three times by the man with the great hair and gleaming smile, Jim Palmer. The most recent was Steve Stone in 1980.

Bedard is being mentioned as a Cy Young candidate frequently by some of the ESPN baseball guys, and with good reason. Although at 13-4, he's two wins behind the league leaders in that category, he leads the AL in strikeouts (218), is second in walks-hits per innings pitched (1.06), second in win percentage (.765) and fourth in ERA (2.97). A two-out, ninth-inning, three-run homer given up by the bullpen to the Yankees' Shelley Duncan in Bedard's outing before last night deprived him of what would have been a 14th victory -- hardly his only tough-luck outing this season.

But as we head to the home stretch, he has been the AL's most dominant pitcher, having won his last nine decisions (the team has won the last 12 games he has pitched), and that performance may be fresh in the voters' minds -- assuming he can continue. His chief competition, and there is honestly a handful of deserving pitchers, include pitchers from winning teams -- Boston's Josh Beckett and the Angels' John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar. The only pitcher I see as competition from another losing team is Oakland's Dan Haren, but if either Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia or Detroit's Justin Verlander were to go on a streak and help his team win that tight division, either could be a factor in the Cy Young as well.

However, given Bedard's individual achievements on a team that we all know has been an also-ran since Memorial Day, he should be considered the front-runner.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:10 AM | Permalink
                    

In analyzing the pennant races earlier, I noticed something about the Orioles. They've been really unlucky this year.

In the '80s, Bill James invented something called the Pythagorean winning percentage. Basically, it predicts team records based on runs scored and runs allowed. It's an imperfect tool for diagnosing specific problems but holds up well over large samples of data. 

By the Pythagorean method, the Orioles should be a .500 team. They've scored seven more runs than they've allowed this year, better than two divisional contenders, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers.

But the Orioles have been undone by a brutal 10-24 record in one-run games. That speaks in part to a disappointing bullpen but also to poor fortune.

It's not like bad luck has pulled them out of pennant contention. It's just worth noting that this is not a terrible team. In fact, it might be the best we've seen since the last winning season in 1997.

Posted by Childs Walker at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
                    

After writing about death and a guilty plea, I feel like pointing you all to something positive. So here's your treat, baseball fans.

He plays for a team that's out of contention in the league that we in Baltimore tend to ignore. But he's 23 years old, he's on pace to win a batting title, hit 30 home runs and 45 doubles, steal 50 bases and score 130 runs. And get this -- the guy plays shortstop.

I'm not sure I've seen a baseball combination quite like the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez. He's kind of like a young Eric Davis playing shortstop with Tony Gwynn's batting average. Or maybe he's Alex Rodriguez with a touch less power but more speed. However you want to look at it, he's remarkable.

One could argue that Ramirez has been the best player in baseball this season. Baseball Prospectus' value-over-replacement-player measure says he's a tick behind A-Rod. Amazingly, his 24-year-old teammate, Miguel Cabrera, ranks third on that list. So the Marlins arguably have two of the three best players in the game, both under 25, and yet there's no excitement around the team.  

If those guys were in Baltimore, we'd all be out of our minds with joy, losing record or no. 

Well, if you hate the Red Sox, take some solace in the fact they traded Han-Ram. Sure, the deal was defensible before last season, and Josh Beckett has been terrific this year. But if the Red Sox had foreseen Ramirez's 2007 numbers, they never would have pulled the trigger. You don't discard unique talents but then, you don't usually see them coming, either.

Posted by Childs Walker at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Heck of a playoff race we have shaping up in baseball. 

In these parts, we tend to hear most about the Yankees-Red Sox clash of the titans redux. Boston has put together a solid season but not without some troubling plots -- Manny Ramirez's decline, David Ortiz's power outage, J.D. Drew's utter inability to justify his contract. Who thought Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell would have to carry the offense for stretches? But from the solid rotation to bullpen surprises Hideki Okajima and Manny Delcarmen, the Red Sox can pitch. 

That counts for a lot but enough to hold off a Yankee offense that has scored 50 more runs than any other team in baseball? Probably. With Bobby Abreu, Robinson Cano and Hideki Matsui rolling, the Yankees are scary. But five games is a substantial lead, and the New York rotation remains suspect. The Yankees are the favorites to win the wild card, however. And if you want to check out a fun young pitcher, watch their rookie middle reliever Joba Chamberlain. He's a squat dude with a tremendous fastball who laid waste to the minor leagues this year.

Cleveland and Detroit remain too close to call in the AL Central. Many thought the Tigers were the best team in baseball six weeks ago, but they turned out to be an excellent demonstration of the old Earl Weaver axiom: you're never as good as you look when every guy is playing near his best. That said, their pitchers are better than they've shown of late and Weaver also said you're never as bad as you look when every guy is struggling. 

The Mariners have a smoke-and-mirrors thing going on as they're 70-52 without exceptional offense or pitching. Both the Angels in the AL West and the Yankees in the wild card have racked up much greater run differentials over the course of the season, so I expect the Mariners to be crowded out in the end. But the best team doesn't always win.

That's the case in the NL West as well, where Arizona has been outscored by 29 runs on the season but still leads by 3 ½ games over the Padres, who've outscored their opponents by 59 runs. The Diamondbacks are 27-16 in one-run games so good luck is definitely a factor. But how can you win a division with Orioles castoff Eric Byrnes as your best hitter? Wacky game.

Nobody's any good in the NL Central, but the Cubs should win. And I like the Mets in the NL East. Their offense hasn't really come around but surprising pitching from Orlando Hernandez, John Maine and Oliver Perez has made them more of an all-around danger than expected. 

Anyway, baseball's my game and it's cool to have a competitive race in every division and both wild cards. Let's root for some epic intrigue over the next two months after a rotten sports summer.

Posted by Childs Walker at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

I began my first reporting job in Roanoke, Va., in the fall of 1999. About 45 minutes south on Interstate 81, Michael Vick began his career as quarterback at Virginia Tech.

I covered politics, not sports, at the time. That made it all the more fun to follow Vick's rise because I could do so purely as a fan. Hokie football is the biggest sports entity by far out there and though Frank Beamer had already built a solid program, the fans had never seen anything like Vick.

No one had.

Football isn't an easy sport for an individual to dominate. But when Vick took off with the ball that autumn, we felt he could outmaneuver all 11 defenders on any given play. He was like Michael Jordan on a scoring streak or, more appropriately, like that one kid at middle school recess who scored every time he got the ball (it was Jamie Biddison in my class, but every school has one).

As Virginia Tech kept winning, I watched the young man's talent unite and electrify a region. The Hokies were outgunned against Florida State in that year's national championship game, but as long as Vick stayed on the field, they seemed to have a chance. He made fellow NFL prospects look like the aforementioned helpless middle schoolers in one of the great individual performances I've seen.

It was an exciting season and I always rooted for Vick after that, even when his talents did not translate easily to the pros. 

Now, he seems headed for prison and that makes me sad, not just for the animals and animal lovers hurt by his alleged actions but for all the people who shared that innocent experience of watching him play back in 1999.

I won't draw any greater conclusions about humanity from it. It's just sad.

Posted by Childs Walker at 9:42 AM | Permalink
                    

No Orioles game to discuss because of the rain. But, of course, the club lost perhaps the greatest fan it ever had when Wild Bill Hagy died yesterday morning. 

The first baseball season I can remember clearly was 1982, when the Orioles nearly chased down the Brewers in a roller-coaster pennant chase. Memorial Stadium, though shabbier than Camden Yards on the outside, felt awesome in the true sense of that word. The O-R-I-O-L-E-S and "Eddie, Eddie" chants literally shook the building. And that deep love -- best expressed when fans wouldn't stop cheering after the Orioles lost the last game of 1982 -- is something I've rarely felt at Camden.

It was a wonderful place to be introduced to baseball, and Bill Hagy had a large hand in creating that atmosphere. I might have trouble explaining to an out-of-town friend why a cab driver who loved drinking Budweiser in the upper deck was a major character in my childhood universe. But then, I'm from Baltimore, so there you have it. 

In non-parochial baseball affairs, the Red Sox handled Tampa Bay, 6-0, while the Angels nipped the Yankees, 7-6, in 10 innings on the West Coast. New York trails the Red Sox by five games in the AL East and streaking Seattle by 1 ½ games in the wild-card race.  

And I suppose the biggest national sports news came when Michael Vick's attorney announced that the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback will accept a plea deal with federal prosecutors in his dogfighting case. Sources close to negotiations told various news outlets that prosecutors will recommend a 12- to 18-month  sentence for Vick. 

ESPN commentators were talking yesterday as if some team will certainly give him a shot when he gets out of prison. But I'm not sure. The public relations risk will be severe, and Vick, though spectacular, has never become a dominant player in the NFL. Regardless, the question probably will not be answered until at least 2009.

Posted by Childs Walker at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

If you're intrigued by Ultimate Fighting Championship but haven't been sure which pay-per-view to order, I'd suggest the one on Saturday as a good starting point. 

At the top of the card, age-defying heavyweight champion Randy Couture will try to stave off a scary challenge from Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga. 

Casual fans may not know much about Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, but the Croatian was long regarded as the most dangerous striker in all of mixed martial arts. When I wanted to get friends excited about the sport, I'd show them highlight tapes of Cro Cop knocking out guys with swift, violent kicks to the head. He was supposed to roll along to challenge Couture. But in April, the younger, huskier Gonzaga did to Cro Cop what the Croatian had done to so many  others. He knocked him silly with a single kick. 

The knockout was especially shocking because Gonzaga was known more for his skills on the mat, where he's a master of Jiu-Jitsu submissions. 

At 44, Couture is simply the best story in mixed martial arts. He came out of retirement in March to dominate enormous Tim Sylvia and recapture the UFC heavyweight belt. Couture was a world-class wrestler, and nobody is smarter at tailoring fight strategies to given opponents.

Posted by Childs Walker at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Oriole fans might be able to take their initial gander at first-round pick Matt Wieters if he's assigned to Single-A Aberdeen this week (the club has said it's leaning in that direction but hasn't confirmed the assignment.)

The switch-hitting catcher is expected to rise through the system quickly, but one neat side note to his stay with the Ironbirds would be his repairing with college teammate and close friend Wally Crancer. 

The Orioles drafted Crancer, an outfielder, in the 12th round of this year's draft. He's batting .226 with five homers in 177 at-bats. At Georgia Tech, his was one of the potent bats supporting Wieters, who saw few good pitches this spring.

Crancer said Oriole fans have a lot to look forward to in their first-round pick.

"You pretty much realized at some point that you were playing with the guy who was the best in the country," he said. "We ran into a lot of good players, and nobody stacked up to him tools-wise. It was fun to be a part of it."

Crancer described Wieters as a smooth, selective hitter from both sides of the plate who also calls a terrific game at catcher. 

"He's a leader by example," Crancer said of Wieters. "He's a perfect example of that actually, because he just carries himself the right way in everything he does."

Crancer hopes to play with his buddy in Baltimore one day but has no illusions that Wieters will remain in Aberdeen for long. "I can't see why he wouldn't move up quickly," he said.

Posted by Childs Walker at 11:15 AM | Permalink
                    

I mentioned that I had a bit more to say about Johan Santana's gem yesterday. Nothing in baseball is more fun than a brilliant pitching performance turned in by a master. Santana is putting together a Hall of Fame peak, but I worry that casual fans overlooks this because pitchers don't post the kind of win totals they did a generation ago. Signature performances help, however, and Santana pitched the best game of his career yesterday. 

How do I determine that? Well, Bill James invented a quick and dirty method called the game score a few years back. The formula is pretty simple. Start with 50 points. Add 1 point for each out recorded. Add 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed. Subtract 2
points for each unearned run allowed. Subtract 1 point for each walk. On this scale, the very best games approach a score of 100. Santana hit 95 yesterday, matching the score Detroit's Justin Verlander posted with his no-hitter in June.

Neither performance was the best of the season. That honor goes to Baltimore's own Erik Bedard, who posted a 98 game score when he held the Texas Rangers to two hits and struck out 15 on July 7. Bedard's game score is the best in baseball since Randy Johnson hit 100 with a 13-strikeout perfect game in May 2004. It's also the best in Orioles' history as far as I can tell. Pretty cool.

Lest you think it was a fluke, Bedard posted the third-highest game score in the American League last year with a two-hit, 12 strikeout beauty against the Florida Marlins. 

He has a way to go to match the Big Unit's resume. Johnson also posted a 97 game score in 2002 and 96 game scores in 2002 and 2003. He's the most recent master of the "oh my lord" pitching line. But Nolan Ryan posted more games scores of 90 or higher than any pitcher with 31. He also passed 100 four times. Ryan wasn't the best pitcher ever, but he sure might have been the most amazing. 

Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout performance in 1998 registered a 105 score, the best of any nine-inning game ever thrown. Harvey Haddix, Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichal, among others, have bested that figure by pitching brilliantly for more than nine innings.

Anyway, game scores don't mean much -- just a fun statistic to play with on a random day in August.

Posted by Childs Walker at 9:06 AM | Permalink
                    

Good morning, all. I'll be pinch-blogging for Bill Ordine today and tomorrow. As many of you know, the Ravens hosted the New York Giants in a nationally televised preseason game last night. Ordine, a conscientious soul, would no doubt have attended said contest and ferreted some colorful details for you members of the purple nation.

Me? I spent the evening focused on more important matters. Would Poison frontman Brett Michaels finally ditch venomous vixen Lacey from his VH-1 reality series Rock of Love (he didn't, though I swear the woman would eat her young to win the show)? Would former television star Scott Baio follow his life coach's advice and break up with loathsome hanger-on Johnny V. in a desperate stab at maturity (he did, hallelujah)?

I know that as a sportswriter, I should care about sports. And bless every soul who loves football enough to crowd M&T for preseason action. But I'm not with you. I can't get up for games when the players aren't striving for maximum artistry and the result doesn't matter. If avoiding injury is the chief goal of the best players on the field (and the Giants weren't so lucky on that front), count me out as a viewer.

VH-1 meanwhile, produces just the sort of celebrity pabulum that keeps me dumb and happy. Say what you will about Lacey, but she was in it to win last night, unlike the Ravens' and Giants' starters. However, please do read my superb colleagues Jamison Hensley, Ed Lee, Mike Preston etc. for sharper analysis of the game.

As for the Orioles, they lost 3-2 yesterday afternoon to the Toronto Blue Jays. But we have to take the long view on this one. Jeremy Guthrie, who has a chance to be a key part of the next good Orioles team, appeared back on form, pounding the strike zone with his fastball. Guthrie will be among the more fascinating stories on the team going into next season. He's the feel-good story of this year, a found treasure if there ever was one. Hitters around the league have said his stuff is for real, but a recent spate of poor outings may have had some wondering if his brilliant first half was a fluke of the 2005 Bruce Chen variety. We don't know for sure, but his almost 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio merits optimism.

In the rest of baseball, the Yankees kept rolling at the expense of the fading Tigers. They also picked up a game on the inconsistent Red Sox. Johan Santana was brilliant with 17 strikeouts in eight innings for the Twins. More on that later. All races remain tight, with no team leading its division by more than five games.

Posted by Childs Walker at 8:19 AM | Permalink
                    

The clock is winding down on Michael Vick and his worsening legal position as two more of his co-defendants pleaded guilty in federal court today, as expected.  

The two are Purnell A. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, Va., and Quanis L. Phillips, 28, of Atlanta. Each pleaded guilty to one charge related to the alleged dogfighting operation that federal investigators say was headquartered at Vick's property in Smithfield, Va. Phillips was taken into custody because he tested positive for drugs while free on bond.

The two promised to help the government in any further prosecution, obviously meaning that if Vick should he go to trial. Another man, Tony Taylor, already pleaded guilty and also promised to cooperate.

It has been reported that Vick was facing a deadline of today to plead guilty or perhaps face even more charges -- and possibly more prison time -- as a result of a superseding indictment. Vick has been told to stay away from the Atlanta Falcons training camp and the NFL has a former deputy attorney general looking into the case to help determine what punishment the quarterback may face from the league.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:46 PM | Permalink
                    

Today at The Sun, one of our colleagues, metro editor Mike Leary, is leaving for another editing position in Philadelphia. Leary is as earnest and knowledgeable a sports fan as there is and has even served his time in newspaper sports departments during his distinguished career, which includes witnessing the fall of the Berlin Wall as a European correspondent.

Anyone who chats with Mike at any length, especially about college sports, will soon figure out that he's a Notre Dame grad and a passionate follower of the Irish. So in honor of Mike's departure -- and all you Fightin' Irish out there -- we offer this good-natured and truly fond farewell.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:57 AM | Permalink
                    

Former NHL player and Phoenix Coyote assistant coach Rick Tocchet was sentenced to two years' probation today for his role in an illegal bookmaking operation that operated out of South Jersey and Philadelphia.

Tocchet, 43, pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy and promoting gambling. His sentence reflected that he was a first-time offender, a prosecutor said. Two other men were charged, including a state trooper who was already sentenced to five years in prison but may be eligible for parole sooner than that. The third man hasn't been sentenced.

Tocchet's case attracted huge attention last year when it first surfaced as "Operation Slapshot" in part because he was working for hockey great Wayne Gretzky in Phoenix and Gretzky's wife, actress Janet Jones, was reported to be a client of the bookmaking operation. Gretzky insisted he was not involved and investigators never linked him to the gambling. There were also no indications that bets were placed on hockey -- mostly, it seemed, the wagering was on NFL games. Tocchet has been on indefinite leave from his coaching job.

Photo credit: Mel Evans/AP

 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:54 AM | Permalink
                    

When safety Will Demps was a Raven, we all thought his biggest headache was getting the hang of defensive coordinator Rex Ryan's complex scheme.  But apparently Will -- who left for the New York Giants before last season -- was bedeviled by other distractions. Like too many hot  babes who were willing to throw themselves at him.

"I could've shared my bed with three at a time," Demps is quoted as saying in a magazine article.

The safety's remarks appeared in the New York Post as a result of a story in September's issue of Essence. Demps, who does modeling work, admits that he, indeed, was tempted by these sirens but now has achieved a level of maturity that allows him to see beyond his "libido."

After taking a peek at Demps' Web site, we're not sure about that.

 Will ... just shut up and make the darn tackle, all right!!!

Photo credit: Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun

 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:18 AM | Permalink
                    

After Phil Rizzuto died Monday night, we included in our modest tribute a couple of recordings of Rizzuto's. One was his call on Roger Maris' 61st home run. The other was his part in the rock classic Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meat Loaf.

There's a nifty story by Jeff Pearlman on ESPN.com about how the Rizzuto thing came together. A gem anecdote that has Phil written all over it was about how Rizzuto's agent, former Met Art Shamsky, wanted to clear up one matter before the Scooter agreed to do the studio work.

According to Meat Loaf in the Pearlman piece, Shamsky said that Phil wanted to know whether you had to be high to listen to the song. Meat Loaf, otherwise known as Michael Lee Aday, assured Shamsky that you could be sober and still enjoy the song.

If you missed it the first time, here's Phil on the Meat Loaf song about romance in the front seat of a Studebaker.

Photo credits: Alessandro Della Bella/AP (Meat Loaf); Associated Press (Rizzuto)

 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:32 AM | Permalink
                    

The Orioles had the day off yesterday and open a series against Toronto today, but there was a fair amount of stuff going on at Yankee Stadium, where the O's had just slowed down the pinstripe express by taking two of three from New York.

To start the day, the Yankees got the news that baseball commissioner Bud Selig would not be taking any disciplinary action against New York first baseman Jason Giambi as a result of Giambi's presumably frank discussion with MLB special steroids investigator George Mitchell. Then the Tigers' Gary Sheffield, in the Bronx with his Detroit teammates for a series against the Yanks, got in another dig at Joe Torre.

And finally, while the matchup between Detroit's Justin Verlander and the Yankees' Mike Mussina wasn't much of a pitching duel, the Tigers got a grand slam from Carlos Guillen in the first inning to further slow the Yankees' chase of the first-place Red Sox, 8-5.

In the Giambi case, Selig indicated that Giambi's level of cooperation with Mitchell and the player's charitable work with kids persuaded him not to suspend the first baseman. Remember how all this got started, with Giambi telling a newspaper that he thought everyone in baseball owed the fans an apology for what occurred in the steroids era -- not an unreasonable point of view -- and he included another tacit admission of his own involvement. Baseball suits, including Selig and Yankee GM Brian Cashman, could hardly contain their rage and putting Giambi through the ringer of a discussion/interrogation with Mitchell was his punishment for such candor. Since Giambi did as he was told and has kept his mouth shut, he gets to play ball for the rest of the season.

Sheffield, meanwhile, feels no need to be particularly politic. Yesterday, he stood by earlier comments that Yankee manager Torre treated players of different races differently and took another shot at Torre by using Detroit manager Jim Leyland as a contrast.

Sheffield said of his current manager: "He's real. That's all there is to it. You get it both ways -- the positive and the negative -- and he's real about both sides." The implication being that Torre is not.

The Yankee manager declined to comment on Sheffield's comments.

*  In the National League, the Cardinals continued to stalk the Brewers in the NL Central. Left for road kill not so long ago, the defending World Series champion Cards now have won six straight as they completed a sweep of the Brewers, 8-0, and are just 2 1/2 games out of first (despite being two games under .500). The Cub are sandwiched between Milwaukee and St. Louis.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:46 AM | Permalink
                    

We had Tim Donaghy plead guilty this week to gambling-related charges in federal court in Brooklyn and any day now, Michael Vick may be in a Richmond federal courtroom telling us more about his involvement in alleged dogfighting and gambling.

And now comes word that tomorrow, ex-NHL player and former Phoenix Coyote assistant coach Rick Tocchet will be in court in Burlington County, N.J., for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and promoting gambling as part of an illegal bookmaking operation with a New Jersey state trooper.

What can we say, other than that all these guys are at least used to wearing uniforms and having a number. Actually, Tocchet may escape jail time -- or at least get a much shorter term than Donaghy or, potentially, Vick. Consider it a benefit of a state prosecution as opposed to facing a federal rap.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:26 PM | Permalink
                    

There's plenty of angst going around for Dale Jr. fans today as they learn that Earnhardt the Younger will not be keeping the No. 8 next year when he moves from DEI to Hendrick Motorsports.

The two sides couldn't come to an agreement (presumably a financial one) on transferring the numeral decal. For Jr.'s fans, as ESPN commentator Marty Smith puts it, it's, "Gentlemen, start your tattoo guns." There are legions of Dale Jr. loyalists out there with indelible souvenirs. But here's the good news -- Smith says that Earnhardt wants No. 81 and that would be a pretty easy fix on all those biceps, calves and secret places where his fans show their affection.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:08 PM | Permalink
                    

As regular visitors here know, we usually have a music video every midday with a sports theme. But in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the passing of Elvis Presley, we're breaking with our own tradition to give you a performance by the King.

However, the song title does remind us of how sports fans must feel these days with ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy admitting to gambling-related crimes, quarterback Michael Vick in a legal fourth-and-long because of his alleged involvement in dogfighting, and slugger Barry Bonds breaking the home run record while dogged by steroids rumors. Here's Suspicious Minds.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:26 AM | Permalink
                    

Atlanta manager Bobby Cox was ejected for the second straight game yesterday, adding to his all-time record for ejections, which now stands at 133. On Tuesday, Cox passed John McGraw for the all-time heave-ho mark. And, for the second straight game, the Braves won (against San Francisco) while Cox was sitting in the clubhouse. Knowing how superstitious baseball people can be, Cox may not finish a game in the dugout for the rest of the season. Cox was tossed last night for arguing a balk on pitcher Tim Hudson.

In recognition of the record, we bring you a 2006 classic featuring minor league manager Joe Mikulik of the Asheville Tourists. The Sons of Sam Malone blog compiled a Top Five list of ejection videos. There's a pip of an Earl Weaver rant out there, but we have to stick to the G-rated stuff.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:45 AM | Permalink
                    

As you may already know by now, the Orioles signed their top draft pick, Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters. Wieters, who is represented by the sometimes difficult Scott Boras, got a $6 million signing bonus -- a tidy sum but not nearly as much as the $11 million reportedly demanded.

The O's selected Wieters (right), who batted .358 with 10 home runs and 59 RBIs, fifth overall and his signing was obviously being viewed as a test of Andy MacPhail's front-office stewardship.

So far, the MacPhail experience has been measured. He did want to make what would have been a sweeping move with the hiring of Joe Girardi as manager when Sam Perlozzo was fired. But when that fell through, MacPhail took a wait-and-see approach with interim manager Dave Trembley and soon announced that Trembley would stay for the season -- so far, the results are encouraging. As the trading deadline loomed and with the Orioles out of contention, MacPhail could have taken the opportunity to clean out the clubhouse, particularly of veterans, but there was no rash deal-making -- again, it was wait-and-see. And with the Wieters signing, the Orioles carefully navigated the brinkmanship situation of losing their top pick (he would have become draft-eligible again today) and getting the kid at a reasonable price. MacPhail was patient, took the talks with Boras to the deadline, and Wieters finally took the six large.

More learned observers of the Orioles, such as colleague Pete Schmuck, have made the case that the significance of the Wieters signing is that it sends a clear message to the rest of the clubhouse that the organization is prepared to do battle with the Yankees and Red Sox. Lately, the players have shown that with their bats and gloves. And they've done it showing a remarkably dogged determination and persistence. And hopefully, the organization is willing to do the same with its checkbook, even if it is in carefully weighed and deliberate steps.

Photo credit: Alan Diaz/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Here's a prediction on Michael Vick: He doesn't become eligible to play again in the NFL until 2009.

I'm going to put this on fast-forward. Unless there is some exculpatory evidence out there (proof that would help exonerate Vick) that his camp is being inexplicably silent about, he has to plead guilty -- and do it very soon. Like in the next few days -- if we are to believe the timing of an impending superseding indictment that could add more charges to the ones he already faces in the alleged dogfighting-gambling scheme based out of a Virginia property he owned. One of three co-defendants has already pleaded guilty and two more are scheduled to do the same tomorrow.

Assuming Vick follows suit, figure on a sentence of about a year -- if he's fortunate. Then, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has to decide whether his NFL discipline time basically should run concurrently with his prison time. Considering what Goodell has done in the case of Adam "Pacman" Jones, Chris Henry and others, allowing Vick to play again as soon as he's released  would mean that his NFL penalty would be the same or not much harsher than the others. Think Goodell is going to do that? Me neither.

Bottom line: 2009 at best.  

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

If there's a word to describe the Orioles these days, it's resilient.

That the O's endured bitter disappointments twice in this week's series against the Yankees, gritted their teeth and recovered by posting wins on both occasions speaks volumes. A year ago, even a few months ago, those same types of letdowns would have had a demoralizing effect. Yesterday, the O's were just one out from their second straight shutout over New York when Yankee Shelley Duncan muscled a three-run homer to tie it, 3-3, and send the Yankee crowd into a jubilant frenzy. But Baltimore came back immediately in the top of the 10th with three runs off Mariano Rivera no less, two on another homer by Aubrey Huff (and what's up with him all of the sudden?). The Orioles squelched the Yankees in the bottom of the inning to win, 6-3, and left the Bronx with two wins in the three-game set. The O's had let the first game on Monday get away in the bottom of the ninth but roared back Tuesday, 12-0.

Marring yesterday's victory was that Erik Bedard -- looking more and more like a Cy Young candidate -- was not rewarded with a win for his seven scoreless innings when he struck out eight, which put his season total over 200 (actually an AL-best 207), the first time an Oriole has done that since Mike Mussina (210) seven years ago.

*  The horse race in the AL Central is neck-and-neck with Cleveland getting a much-needed victory at home against Detroit, 6-2. The teams are tied for the the division lead and with Seattle and New York in the wild-card chase. The second-place finisher in the AL Central could wind up out of luck for the postseason. The Indians, just 14-18 since the All-Star break, have seen their Jacobs Field dominance mysteriously vanish (they're 5-13 there after being plus-20 in their first 46 home games). But the Detroit roster is riddled with the flu just as the Tigers get to Yankee Stadium for a series with New York.

*  And soccer superstar import David Beckham started earning his multimillion-dollar paycheck with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Beckham, who had been sidelined mostly with an ankle injury since arriving in America with great fanfare, scored a goal and had an assist in a 2-0 win over D.C. United.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 6:35 PM | Permalink
                    

Admittedly, the prank that someone in the New York Giants' Albany training camp pulled is garden-variety preseason stuff, but that the victim was tight end Jeremy Shockey just makes it seem funnier.

The excitable and often impolitic Shockey was none too pleased to find out when he slipped his hand into a receiving glove that someone had slipped in dye similar to the stuff that banks put in those special bags of money that covers the crooks with an indelible mark.

Shockey, who now sports a fashionably purple hand, had a terse message for the so-far unidentified culprit. "Dead man walking,"  Shockey reportedly said.

But on further review of Shockey's considerable ink work already on his arms, it's a wonder that he's even bothered by it (or for that matter, even noticed).

Photo credit: David L. Pokress/Newsday

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:15 PM | Permalink
                    

Just proving EVERYTHING is on the Internet, we offer today's music video that is actually tied to an earlier item today about Ravens rookie linebacker Antwan Barnes walloping Eagles backup punter Sav (short for Saverio) Rocca on Monday night. Rocca, 33, 6 feet 5, 265 pounds, is a rookie himself who apparently had a terrific career playing Aussie Rules football, where they're used to pummeling each other wearing just T-shirts and gym shorts. Guess that explains why he was able to come back and punt again after Barnes tried to turn out the lights on him at M&T Bank Stadium. So, here we have Sav Rocca (No. 36 and No. 26 and occasionally his brother, Anthony, No. 23) in a Down Under tribute. (And when you look at these kicks, you understand why the NFL has been recruiting Australians as punters lately.)

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:00 PM | Permalink
                    

The quick news on ex-NBA ref Tim Donaghy is that he pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn to wire fraud and transmitting waging information through interstate commerce. Two other men, presumably the people to whom Donaghy gave information, were arrested today as part of the case.

Part of the information that Donaghy passed on to his co-conspirators was which officiating crews were working games and the physical condition of players. The maximum penalty is 25 years, but Donaghy is likely looking at a lot less prison time. Otherwise, it wouldn't have made much sense to strike a deal as quickly as he did with federal prosecutors. Reportedly, prosecutors said in court that Donaghy bet on games himself but that was not part of his plea.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:15 AM | Permalink
                    

For all the fistfights (and worse) that take place in sports, it's rare indeed that a player is arrested for what happens on the playing field/court/ice. But former major league All-Star shortstop Jose Offerman -- now playing with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League -- was charged with second-degree assault last night after charging the mound with his bat and striking an opposing pitcher and catcher.

Offerman, who had been hit in the leg with a pitch after previously hitting a homer, caught Bridgeport Bluefish pitcher Matt Beech on the hand and catcher John Nathans on the head on a backswing. The game was being played in Bridgeport and after a 20-minute delay, local police entered the visiting locker room and made the arrest. Former major league pitcher Tommy John manages Bridgeport.

Offerman, 38, played in the majors for 15 seasons, most recently in 2005 with the Phillies and Mets. He made the All-Star game twice, with the Dodgers and the Red Sox, in the 1990s.

The Bridgeport club is asking that Offerman be banned from the league.

Photo credit: AP/Christian Abraham (Connecticut Post)

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:44 AM | Permalink
                    

In case you missed it, here's a replay of Ravens linebacker Antwan Barnes' hit on Eagles punter Sav Rocca in Monday's game that's making the rounds on the Internet. I believe the Eagles' TV analyst taking exception to Barnes' shot was former Philadelphia linebacker and Pro Bowl special teamer Ike Reese.

Luckily, the Eagles didn't follow Reese's suggestion about what to do in retaliation considering how much kicker Matt Stover or even punter Sam Koch means to the Ravens. Rocca is a former Aussie Rules footballer who is making a bid for an NFL job. It's a good thing Buddy Ryan wasn't on the other sideline for anyone with a long memory regarding a famous Thanksgiving Day incident involving Buddy, who was once the Eagles coach, and Dallas kicker Luis Zendejas. Ryan was accused of putting a bounty on Zendejas, who was knocked silly on a kickoff. For the record, the penalty on the play here was against an Eagle for shoving Barnes.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
                    

As quickly as the Michael Vick dogfighting-gambling case is moving along, the Tim Donaghy situation may wind up in an even more rapid resolution.

Remember, as of yesterday, Donaghy (right) was merely under investigation. There hasn't even been an indictment. But it's being reported that Donaghy will be in federal court in Brooklyn today actually pleading guilty. Exactly to what remains to be seen.

It's been a little less than two months since the FBI first contacted the NBA and gave the league the bad news that a referee was under suspicion for gambling activity.  Since then, what has leaked out/been announced is that Donaghy bet on games (including ones he officiated), provided inside information to gambling associates and may have influenced the outcomes of games that he worked. The latter, of course, is the most troublesome for the NBA.

His anticipated guilty plea will lay out some of the details of what he admits to doing. What has been happening here is that Donaghy's lawyer, John Lauro -- who once worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney -- has been negotiating with federal prosecutors to get Donaghy the best deal possible in exchange for sparing the government the trouble of prosecution and, presumably, for providing information about others in the gambling enterprise.

The NBA has been holding its breath, concerned that others within the league might be involved but, so far, there's been no indication that is the case.

Photo credit: Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:31 AM | Permalink
                    

Even the Orioles' winning record since the All-Star break doesn't tell the whole story behind the team's turnaround in the last five weeks or so.

Since the second half started, the O's are 17-13 and, to be sure, they're still seven games under .500 (and just 4-6 over their last 10). But it's Baltimore's renewed sense of pride that's encouraging. Last night, they pounded the Yankees, 12-0, in the Bronx behind Aubrey Huff (grand slam), who is suddenly hitting the way the Orioles hoped he would when they gave him a ton of money in the off-season, and pitcher Daniel Cabrera, who held the Yanks scoreless for nearly seven innings despite five walks (he leads the American League with 86).

Manager Dave Trembley put last night in the proper context when he talked about how the Orioles bounced back from a difficult one-run loss the previous night. Now, the O's have a chance to take a series from the Yankees on the road this afternoon and make a run at that .500 mark against Toronto and then Texas.

Self-respect and winning. The two do seem to go hand-in-hand, don't they?

*  Despite last night's loss, the Yankees are still in the playoff hunt after a terrible first half, much like the Cardinals. At the All-Star break, it seemed like the defending world champions were taking the season off as they fell out of contention in the NL Central. But over the last two weeks, a combination of things -- a modest revival by St. Louis (10-7) and the stumbling and bumbling by the the first-place Brewers and second-place Cubs -- have allowed the Cards to think they may be able to reprise 2006. A year ago, they went on to win the World Series even though they were only 83-78 in the regular season. Last night, the Cards clobbered the Brewers, 12-4, to move to within 4 1/2 games of first place.

*  And Atlanta manager Bobby Cox set a major league mark of his own. Cox was ejected (this time for arguing balls and strikes) for the 132nd time, which moved him ahead of John McGraw. It was in a good cause. The Braves beat the Giants, 5-4.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:49 AM | Permalink
                    

Yankees' Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto, who was equally stellar as a player and a broadcaster, died today at age 89.

Newsday's Bob Herzog did a wonderful account of Rizzuto's life, reflecting on both his 13-season playing career as well as his time in the broadcast booth over the course of five decades. As anyone who ever heard the Scooter call a game knows, he had a tendency to drift off into realms far from the diamond when the game became boring. I found that endearing -- it was as if Rizzuto was telling us that not every pitch of every game was necessarily worth our attention, that he would continue to entertain us, and then let us know when something happened that we should get excited about.

One story Herzog tells about Rizzuto comes from former National League president and broadcast partner Bill White, who said he once noted an abbreviation on Rizzuto's scorecard of "WW." The puzzled White asked the Scooter what "WW" denoted. Rizzuto answered, "Wasn't watching."

But the most telling thing, I thought, was when former Yankee publicist Marty Appel was quoted as saying that Rizzuto brought out the best in every broadcast partner he ever had. And when you look at Rizzuto's career -- he played on five straight world championship teams and nine pennant winners -- that was true on the field as well. He had a .273 lifetime average, was a great fielder, canny base runner and superb bunter. In short, the 5-foot-6 Rizzuto did all the little things that allowed the Yankees' great talents -- the DiMaggios, the Mantles, the Fords -- to shine as brightly as they could.

When you think about it, for a man to make those around him better is truly a noble accomplishment.

For your listening pleasure, here are two snippets of the Scooter -- one calling home run No. 61 by Roger Maris, and Rizzuto's appearance on rock star Meat Loaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Light.

Photo credit:  Associated Press

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

I had been looking for a music video that addressed Barry Bonds, the home run record and the obvious controversy. There seems to be no end to the anti-Bonds tunes on the Internet and as part of the latter stages of the chase to catch Hank Aaron, there's even a whole genre of pro-Bonds tributes. But most, on both sides of the Bonds argument, are heavy-handed or slightly obscene or just plain bad. Then, we found this one. Granted, it's a bit dated because it was done after Bonds passed Babe Ruth and well before he caught Aaron, but it's terrific and strikes just the right note.

It's called, Oh Babe, What Would You Say, and it's quite the stylish tune based on a jaunty Hurricane Smith love song by the the same title done in the early 1970s. An aside: Smith is a native Londoner who was the engineer for groups such as the Beatles and Pink Floyd.

But here's the baseball version of Oh Babe. The song was produced by Joe "Sonny" Barbato and Ricky Gordon. Vocals and drums by Alex McDougel.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:34 AM | Permalink
                    

Yesterday, we brought you what was, to the best of our fading memory, the first bowling post we've had here -- the music video that paid lyrical tribute (sort of) to kegling. And to our amazement, here we have another one. I think there's a rule that anyone who pulls this off in the 10th frame of a perfect game is actually awarded a score of 301. Thanks to the Parlayer blog for pointing it out.

http://view.break.com/265415 - Watch more free videos

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:36 AM | Permalink
                    

None of what has happened recently in the Michael Vick case surprises me, only the speed with which it has happened.

Yesterday, Vick's co-defendants, No. 2 and No. 3 (Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips), scheduled a hearing in federal court -- undoubtedly to enter guilty pleas in the dogfighting-gambling ring that allegedly operated out of a Virginia property owned by Vick and crossed state lines to do its work. This follows a guilty plea already entered by the first defendant to roll over, Tony Taylor.

What's happening here is that the feds are holding as a hammer a superseding indictment that can add more charges. If the defendants don't plead guilty right now, they could face even more prison time by digging in their heels, even for just a few more weeks or even days. This now isolates Vick as the lone defendant with a mountain of evidence, especially the testimony of his old pals, building against him.

Here's where Vick stands: The 2007 season is gone -- that's a given barring a miracle, like a speedy trial where he's found innocent. Putting aside that very, very unlikely outcome, he's going to do prison time if he pleads guilty or, worse, is found guilty at trial. Of course, he has the same predicament as the other three defendants, that prison time likely will be longer if he waits for the superseding indictment to come down. The 27-year-old quarterback now has to think in terms of getting through the legal process and getting through a prison sentence while there's still some pages left on the calendar of his career (and that's assuming the NFL allows him to return).

To borrow a phrase from a press box observer last night, consider this Mike Vick's plea-season.

Photo credit: Ric Feld/AP

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:42 AM | Permalink
                    

If you saw the Ravens whip the Eagles, 29-3, in the preseason opener, you may have thought you saw someone wearing No. 95 on the Ravens' defense. Well, you were mistaken -- that was really No. 96. 

"But wait," you say, "No. 96 was Adalius Thomas and he took a pile of Bob Kraft's money in free agency and ran off to New England."

And certainly you would be right on that score -- but the Ravens still need someone to approximate Thomas' Mr. Everything role in defensive coordinator Rex Ryan's complex scheme, and that task now falls to Jarret Johnson, who most assuredly wears No. 95 but now must imitate the old No. 96.

Last night, Johnson -- mostly lining up at outside linebacker -- played a little longer than the rest of the first-string defenders, taking snaps through the second period because, well, he needs the live game repetitions. He had two tackles and put in a steady night that included one hiccup in pass coverage on a 30-yard completion to&