From the past
So you’re driving to work this morning, and you can barely concentrate on the road because you have no idea whatever happened to former Orioles Eric DuBose and Calvin Pickering. If you don’t find out soon, you can forget about sleeping tonight. It's that important to you.
I could ease your mind and tell you that DuBose and Pickering are both playing for the independent Bridgeport Bluefish, but that wouldn’t be the entire story. And when your name is Roch, you don’t leave any stone unturned.
It’s more interesting to learn how DuBose is being used by Bridgeport manager Tommy John, who, coincidentally, has the same name as a common elbow surgery. What are the odds?
I hear Dubose’s name and I immediately think about the time three years ago when he was arrested for driving under the influence in Sarasota, Fla. while on assignment at the Orioles’ minor league complex. He was sent down there to pitch while his teammates were off, and he got in a little trouble.
Scroll down at this site and you’ll find my story, and one of the funniest quotes I’ve ever come across. If nothing else, I’ll always be an Eric DuBose fan for providing that quip - though the police officer might not have been as amused.
I have to give the Orioles credit for downplaying the impact of that 27-minute rain delay yesterday. Time was called in the eighth inning after Luke Scott’s pinch-hit double put runners on second and third with one out and the Nationals leading, 2-0. When play resumed, the Orioles hit two balls hard – Brian Roberts’ sacrifice fly and Melvin Mora’s liner to right – but they hadn’t tied the game.
Maybe the stoppage didn’t matter, but it had to be frustrating.
“That’s just part of the game,” manager Dave Trembley said. “You have to go through it. You can’t make excuses about it. It was a long day for everybody.”
It’s a lot longer when you end up losing.
What is it about Sundays that wreck this team? They’re 1-6 this year, mostly because the offense shuts down. They’ve scored 13 runs in those seven games.
John Lannan tied them in knots yesterday. I saw him pitch once in spring training and he did the same thing to the Orioles, holding them to one run and three hits in six innings, but he was mostly facing minor leaguers with uniform numbers better suited for an offensive line. Trembley kept most of his regulars back in Fort Lauderdale instead of subjecting them to the long bus ride to Viera.
No such excuses yesterday. Lannan kept getting ahead of hitters and forcing them to beat the ball into the ground.
Kevin Millar held up a copy of The Sun’s sports section yesterday morning as reporters gathered in the clubhouse and took notice of the extensive lacrosse coverage – and how he could barely find any mention of “the local baseball team” that just happened to win its fourth straight game the previous night. One story was buried on 9D, he noted, but at least we ran a huge photo of the losing goalie in the Maryland-Virginia game on the front page. And the stands in the background appeared to be empty except for "a father and son," which also became part of Millar's skit.
Millar was having fun with it, drawing huge laughs all around. Fortunately, none of the clips ended up taped to George Sherrill’s locker.
One of my articles is still there – the one that ran in the space normally reserved for Bill Ordine’s “Last Word” that included all the low batting averages on the team and how there wasn’t an immediate solution on the bench or in the minors. It wasn’t meant to slam a team that was in first place at the time. It was just an observation that pitching help was more readily available at Triple-A (Jim Johnson, Garrett Olson), and if the offense was going to start churning out runs, they would have to come from the guys presently in the lineup.
It caused quite a stir for a day, and I made Sherrill’s wall of shame. But I consider it a badge of honor. Better to be noticed than ignored, I suppose.
Comments
Roch, Why is Scott Moore not playing in Norfolk? I have not seen his name in days, is he hurt?
Posted by: Tom from Millersville | May 19, 2008 10:12 AM
Maybe someone should inform Millar that Lacrosse along with the O's is a big part of Maryland Sports. He also could have checked the attendance for the Navy-Hopkins game and taken noticed that the crowd was bigger than several O's games this year.
Posted by: Steve | May 19, 2008 10:24 AM
Tell Kevin that The Sun, with all its flaws, still provides more consistent coverage of the Os than does big bad WRC-TV (NBC affiliate here in the Northern VA 'burbs). My wife and I share the intrigue every night, waiting to see whether or not they mention the Os or show any game highlights.
When George Michael was there, he NEVER showed any; it was almost as if he had somehow been dissed by someone in the past and, when the Nats reloacted to RFK, this was his method of revenge. Since his departure, Lindsay and Dan seem to be more forthcoming with Os news.
On WJLA-TV (ABC), Tim Brant does a nice job --- fair and relatively balanced between Os and Nats. Probably because he played football at UMd and has closer links.
Posted by: Bobby Ballgame | May 19, 2008 10:40 AM
Roch: How did Millar miss Ricig's Sterrillization:Sherrillization cartoon yesterday??
Posted by: eric | May 19, 2008 10:44 AM
Washington Nationals might not win another game the rest of the year. Any takers?
Posted by: sudhir | May 19, 2008 11:02 AM
Once again, if these guys think the Bal'mer press are bad, they should try a year in NY or Boston. Millar should know this... BTW, Millar ain't exactly tearing it up so far & when I see him, he seems to be guessing or sitting on an inner half fastball every AB.
Lacrosse is big here I know, but come on guys, it's a college sport,not the local PRO team that is doing well...
Posted by: Brian | May 19, 2008 11:16 AM
Roch,
Don't know if you check out Baseball America - but you should this week. Three of the O's are in the top 5 of the prospect hot sheet
Tillman #2
Wieters #3
Arrieta #5
Posted by: Dom | May 19, 2008 11:17 AM
ATTN, Orioles Nation; Roch, that includes you too. Before I begin, I want to make it clear - Because some of you might brush off the idea as nothing more than a "gut feeling" or as rhetoric; I invite anyone to step in, even for just a few minutes. These thoughts are in accordance with what my eyes have been able to see for the last decade as an O's fan. Remember the old cliche, "think before you act"? ( Well, in this case, react) keep that in mind! Here it goes: C Ramon Hernandez has been having problems with a sore wrist( left, right i'm not sure). Earlier in his career he had surgery on the same wrist - One of the Sun writers wrote about it not long ago. He WILL NOT finish the season! He, Hernandez, understands that C Matt Wieters will be up here no later than next year, right? Ramon will attempt to play through the discomfort, not allowing the wrist to heal; and therefore his play will suffer, as well as, playing time. I predict that sometime before the Mid-Summer Classic, as unfortunate as it is, Ramon's tenure here will end on the DL. Now with that being said, The O's surprisingly, have a deep and reliable bullpen; starting pitching is coming around with Rich Kranitz's tutelage; and as far as the hitting goes, well, haven't they at the very least been clutch? The one quality they "lack" is a presence - C Matt Wieters. 6'5 225, switch hitting catcher, with a defensive and offensive prowess. And of course, presence! Ask Roch for his stats in single-A ball, just kidding, Roch. I understand he's 21, however, let us flashback to the 1996 World Series when a young 19-year old center fielder for the Atlanta Braves hit 2 HR's in one game. The rest they say is, history, for the next decade. Age - another cliche - is nothing but a number, and Matt is proving that he belongs this year and not in 2009,2010. I am not to suggest that he is the difference between watching the playoffs and making the playoffs. However, he will make a "difference", STAY TUNED!
Posted by: Nelson | May 19, 2008 11:29 AM
I cant wait to hear the pissing and moaning from MIllar when Joust season starts. After all Jousting IS our state sport.
Posted by: Lucky Horseshoe | May 19, 2008 11:41 AM
Oddly enough, Roch, I was wondering the other day what happened to DuBose. I was never really a fan, I just thought he may latch on to a bullpen somewhere...
Completely forgot about Pickering though. Good to see he's still around, and I wish him the best.
Awesome quote, by the way.
Posted by: caprimode | May 19, 2008 11:50 AM
Lucky Horseshoe--Let's have Jousting Night--free lances for everyone--and invite Ray Knight back to challenge Lance Cormier in a pregame battle.
Posted by: Barry | May 19, 2008 11:55 AM
Terry Tiffee is batting .419 for AAA Las Vegas
Posted by: Not Tom | May 19, 2008 12:17 PM
we gave the indians small pox. they gave us lacrosse. we both got screwed. stick to baseball, please.
Posted by: brian f | May 19, 2008 12:24 PM
Don't criticize Millar. It's in his best interest to fight for cover time in the Sun paper. Would you, as a professional baseball player in Baltimore, be okay with the fact that you're playing to the best of your ability, winning games, turning heads, beating the odds... and uh-oh! the big lacrosse losers of the day are all that people are talking about? Of course you wouldn't! You are simply making a case against Millar based on your own personal perspective on how ALL Maryland sports deserve their spot in the papers. Millar isn't from Baltimore, he doesn't play lacrosse... all he cares about is seeing his team on the front page, and I don't think you can fault him for that, especially when they are the "winning" team in Baltimore right now.
You tell em Kevin. Show these Baltimorons who deserves presstime.
Posted by: Greg | May 19, 2008 12:29 PM
Nice one, Barry!
Nelson - While I agree that Wieters is a "presence", I think the Orioles are going to take it slow with him. I do think that he will get called up to AA pretty soon. It's very evident that he can handle high-A pitching. Once he's in AA, anything is possible. I do think that Wieters will be in AA the rest of the year, until Sept. call-ups. Next year, I think he starts in AA or AAA and then by midseason gets the call-up. MacPhail has said repeatedly that he will not rush prospects to the majors, and your theory goes against every grain of that philosophy.
Posted by: T-Mac | May 19, 2008 12:32 PM
The jousting matches will tide us over until duckpin season begins. Maybe by then we can read about Millar's antics below the massage parlor ads.
Posted by: BigBill | May 19, 2008 12:41 PM
If you think it's incredible that Tommy John had a surgery with the same name as his, how 'bout that Lou Gehrig caught a disease with his same name?
Posted by: Tom in FL | May 19, 2008 2:49 PM