I'm sure there are a lot of fans out there who would rather see Zach Britton called up next week than Chris Tillman, but not me. There is a proper progression for this kind of thing, and another look at Tillman is the better option -- though no final decision has been announced on who will come up when the rosters expand on Sept. 1. The Orioles are no longer in a position where they have to rush their good young pitchers up to the big leagues, so there's nothing wrong with keeping Britton hungry until next spring.

Why not bring up both? What's the harm in bringing up Britton to give him a taste of the major leagues with no pressure to do anything more than rub shoulders with the guys that he -- hopefully -- will be playing alongside in the next year or so?

Maybe because that's just not what Buck Showalter is all about. He's got a lot of evaluating to do over the next month, and giving Britton a symbolic pat on the butt for having a good minor league season probably isn't high on his priority list. If he's not going to be in the September rotation, it's probably better to shut him down.

Buck said on Friday that it isn't an innings thing, but I'm not sure that's entirely true. Britton still is a few innings short of his professional high, but he's not quite through at Norfolk. If he ends up with 150-160 innings, that sounds about right.

If you want to read more on this subject, check out Jeff Zrebiec's story in today's print edition or on the Web site right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)
Categories: Just baseball
        

I'm guessing you've already read Jeff Zrebiec's interview with Dave Trembley, which is in today's print edition and on the Web site right here. Dave doesn't exactly split the atom, but it was long past time for him to give his side of the story.

If you were expecting him to come out swinging, you don't know Dave. He's a very proper guy when it comes to the protocol of professional baseball. He did say that he was disappointed with the way he found out about his impending dismissal, but had nothing but good things to say about the organization and new manager Buck Showalter.

I know that even the mention of Trembley here is going to bring out another burst of venom from all the people who think that the Orioles would be a .500 team right now if he had been dismissed at the end of last season, but he was always a decent guy and he did pretty much what he was brought in to do -- other than win with a team that had almost no chance to win more than 40 percent of its games.

That's your cue, Bob. Go to town.

Associated Press photo

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
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The Orioles offense has continued to be the laggard in the Buck Showalter recovery, but I'm here to make the case that the club's soft run production is -- in one sense -- a good thing. The last thing I want Showalter and the front office to come out of this season with a false sense of the club's offensive potential.

The O's need a big bat and there can be no rationalizing that they can somehow return to respectability without making a major deal to beef up the heart of the batting order. Showalter is a few games above .500 with a team that has pitched it's ERA off the past three weeks. The won-loss record is such an improvement over the previous four months of the season that it's hard to complain too much about anything, but it would be a mistake to read too much into an offense that has benefitted from a terrific Luke Scott, but still is struggling for any kind of consistency.

It's fair to be impressed with the way the young pitchers have responded at this late stage in the season -- which is usually a time when they could be forgiven for losing some altitude -- but it's still difficult to project what Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta and Brad Bergesen will do next year. I'm guessing Buck knows that, but I'm not confident that Peter Angelos is capable of seeing through a brief upturn to the necessity of opening his checkbook in a big way..

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (86)
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We've been promoting my Cal Ripken interview for the last couple of days, and now you can read it right here or watch Part 1 of the video right here.

The interview took place late last week at the Baltimore offices of Ripken Baseball. As you will see and hear, Cal is pretty comfortable with turning 50 and still has a lot he wants to accomplish in the game of baseball. Check it out.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (87)
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It’s hard to believe, but the fresh-faced kid who burst into the Orioles lineup in 1982, caught the final out of the World Series in 1983 and broke Lou Gehrig’s supposedly unbreakable consecutive games record in 1995 has reached the half-century mark. Cal Ripken Jr. turns 50 on Tuesday, so we thought it was a perfect time to sit down with him and talk about his great career, his reaction to the Big 5-0 and his plans for the future. Here's a sneak preview of the video interview, which will be posted in its entirety Tuesday.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

It's been a busy weekend, and I haven't had a lot of time to put stuff up here, but I never miss an opportunity to deliver a shameless plug, so -- if you haven't already -- take a look at my column about last night's game against the Redskins at Fedex Field.

Obviously, it's in the print edition today, but if you don't have one handy, you can read it right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Even though Nick Markakis has always been a reserved fellow, it's still amazing that he has been in the major leagues for nearly six years and had never been thrown out of a major league game until last night.

That says a lot about him on more than one level. I'm sure there are people out there who might think it's a sign that he isn't fiery enough, but I think it's just another indication of how steady and consistent he is -- both on the field and inside his head. He doesn't speak up that often, but when he does, it tends to mean something, as evidenced by his public excoriation of the team earlier this season and last night's outburst at home plate umpire Jeff Nelson.

Obviously, Nick wasn't alone in his low opinion of Nelson's strike zone. Buck Showalter also got himself ejected later in the game.

Outfielder Adam Jones also displayed some frustration, and stood up for Markakis after the game.

"It was frustrating,'' Jones said. "I think Buck said it perfectly. When Markakis says something -- a guy with an eye like that -- go to the tape. He's one of the most mild-mannered guys you can find. If he says something, you know it's got to be something. He doesn't argue much. He's been here six years. He's got one of the best (batting) eyes in baseball. He's frustrated. He's protecting himself. He said something, and he should have."

This has been a very one-sided debate, but not for lack of trying to get the other side of the story. Our baseball writer Dan Connolly went to the umpires room after the game to get a comment from Nelson, but the umpires relayed through umpires attendant Ernie Tyler that they would not comment on the two ejections.

That's their privilege, of course, but it's my privilege to believe that if they are unwilling to support or explain their position, then they probably aren't all that confident that they acted properly. I've covered baseball in parts of five decades and my experience has been that most umpires encourage reporters to give them a chance to comment. Obviously, not this time.

Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron


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Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (50)
        

When I heard that Roger Clemens had been indicted on charges of lying to Congress, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. The Rocket has decided to play this game of legal chicken to the bitter end, and he remained defiant in his reaction to the indictment.

"I never took HGH or Steroids. And I did not lie to Congress," Clemens said on Twitter. "I look forward to challenging the Governments accusations, and hope people will keep an open mind until trial. I appreciate all the support I have been getting. I am happy to finally have my day in court."

That's nice, but I'm willing to bet that he would not have been indicted if congressional investigators did not have the goods on him. There's no percentage in taking on a big-name celebrity if you aren't sure you're going to get him. Remember, these are politicians we're talking about.

Clemens is banking on the public eventually believing him -- and preserving enough doubt about his alleged steroid use to allow his election to the Hall of Fame -- because of his stubborn refusal to admit anything when just about everyone else has come clean and moved on. He might make some headway if he can beat these charges, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that.

Here's my prediction: When the Rocket and his lawyers get to see all the evidence that Congress has gathered against him, he'll make a deal to stay out of jail and finally get on with his life.

Shameless plug: Tune in at noon for The Week in Review with me, Kendel Ehrlich and Clarence Mitchell IV on WBAL (1090 AM) and WBAL.com.

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Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (64)
Categories: Just baseball
        

During my weekend in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area, I got into an argument with a knowledgeable baseball friend over the validity of the "Quality Start." My buddy, a former pitcher, has no respect for the relatively new statistic, which is awarded to a starting pitcher for working at least six innings and giving up no more than three earned runs.

I share some of that skepticism, since a six-inning, three-run performance works out to a 4.50 ERA, but I also recognize that in this age of bullpen specialization, six or seven innings is considered a productive outing and holding the opposition to three earned runs usually will keep your team in the game.

If you want to debate that, go to town, but I mention it because the Orioles now have 13 quality starts in the 17 games that have been managed by Buck Showalter. Brian Matusz chalked up another one last night when he went eight innings and gave up no runs on five hits against the first-place Texas Rangers, so there is no debating the relative quality of his performance.

The Orioles are 11-6 in those games, so there is no question about the cause-and-effect relationship, but I'm still trying to figure out just what Showalter did to get into the head of every member of the starting rotation. The guy must be some kind of Zen master.

The Rangers have to be wondering what's going on. They've now lost five straight to the Orioles, and they need to do something about that because the Angels and A's are starting to creep up on them in the AL West standings. C.J. Wilson will try to stem that tide tonight against former TCU star Jake Arrieta.

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Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (73)
        

It's pretty obvious that the Orioles are a better team today than they were two months ago, but they still do things that make you want to tear out your hair. Like a strange little span in the fifth inning of last night's game when Luke Scott and Adam Jones combined to get nine consecutive pitches out of the strike zone from Mariners starter David Pauley and swung at five of them.

Sure, it's easy to second-guess an at-bat from a distance, which is why I don't usually do that, but I was sitting in the stands behind the Orioles dugout, so I was seeing the plate from the same angle as Buck Showalter. Here's the situation:

The Orioles were down by three runs with Brian Roberts at second base and Scott ahead on the count 3-0. Though a walk would have gotten the potential tying run to the plate, Scott swung over the next two pitches -- both below the knees -- before grudgingly accepting a walk on a check-swing. Jones followed him to the plate and swung at three straight pitches down and apparently off the plate, finally pounding the last one into the ground and bouncing it weakly to short to end the inning.

Maybe I'm nit-picking, but it was pretty obvious that Pauley was up on the scouting reports and knew he didn't have to throw the ball in the strike zone to either of the Orioles' most aggressive hitters. The results speak for themselves.

The Orioles are showing a lot more plate discipline than they did earlier in the season, but not enough to avoid getting stifled on consecutive nights by somebody named Luke French and a pitcher (Pauley) who passed through the Orioles organization last year without making much of an impression.

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Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (43)
        

Normally, I don't spend a lot of time plugging events on the blog, but during a weak moment of social consciousness I just decided to remind everybody that Brian's Bash is coming up on Sunday night from 6 to 9 p.m. at Dave and Buster's at the Arundel Mills Mall.

Brian Roberts hosts this annual event to benefit his favorite charity -- the University of Maryland Hospital for Children’s Pediatric Cardiopulmonary and Child Life Programs -- and I hear it's a good time. There will be food and games and lots of Brian's fellow players and other local sports personalities, as well as live and silent auctions.

Tickets are $200 for adults and $150 for kids 12 and under. If you're interested, call the University of Maryland Hospital for Children at 410-328-3637.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Kevin Millwood pitched eight strong innings on Tuesday night, so you pretty much know what happened. The Orioles offense was completely shut down by left-hander Luke French, sticking Millwood with his league-leading 13th loss.

"I felt like I threw the ball well,'' he said. "I thought our defense was really good...Once again, the other guy was a little bit better."

Millwood has been the victim of non-support all season. He pitched very well early in the season and was lucky to get a run or two per start. He waited more than two months for his first victory and Tuesday night was the 10th time the O's have scored two runs or fewer in the games he has started. On the flipside, the O's have scored five or more runs in a Millwood start just seven times in 24 starts.

"I worry about what I can control,'' Millwood said. "Scoring runs is something I can't control. I feel like I pitched well and gave us a chance."

Manager Buck Showalter wasn't complaining.

"Like most starting pitchers that have a good outing, they made some good plays behind him,'' Showalter said. "Pie's play in the first inning, that was some kind of play. Kevin's tempo was good and we made some good plays behind him. The curveball was there some, his cutter. I thought for the most part, with some exceptions, he got the fastball in better places. He had to be pretty much perfect to match (Luke) French."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (58)
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It never fails. Every time I write a column cutting the Orioles any kind of slack, they immediately fold up like a cheap patio chair. My latest is on the Web site right here, and will seem irrelevant by the time the print edition comes out tomorrow.

I'd appreciate it if you would read it anyway. I need the business.

Since I've been around here all season, I should have know that if Kevin Millwood pitched well, the Orioles wouldn't score any runs. My bad.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
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For the past five days, I've been languishing in a remote location where they force you to ride around in little carts and and curse a lot, so I really could not keep up with the Orioles the way I normally would.

Basically, I've been limited to the occasional boxscore or play-by-play review, so I don't have much of a feel for what has happened with the club since Thursday. What was obvious -- in spite of the club's 2-3 record while I was gone -- was that the O's continue to play a different brand of baseball under new manager Buck Showalter. The only series they have lost since he took over was the one this past weekend against the Rays in St. Petersburg and the rubber game was a 3-2 loss that featured a quality start by Jake Arrieta.

I got off a plane at BWI last night just in time to fire up the laptop at Baggage Claim and see that the Orioles had fallen behind the Mariners in the 10th inning. That forced me to sit there reading the play-by-play updates on MLB.com while my bag kept going around and around the carousel until the O's had secured another late-inning comeback win and improved their record under Buck to 10-4.

What does all this mean? I'm not sure yet, but I'll be back at the ballpark tonight to sort it all out. Look for my next column later tonight.

My vacation is over. Watch your backs.

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Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (58)
        

Let me preface my comments about Sunday's PGA Championship by pointing out that I am enough of a golf fan to spend the last four days in the Lake Tahoe area trying to gain some command of the game, which brings me to my first question of the day:

When you need to birdie the eighth and ninth holes to finish the front nine at 45, is that good?

Didn't think so, but that's not really what I wanted to talk about. I'm pondering what happened to Dustin Johnson and trying to make sense of a sport that has no problem turning to instant replay to scuttle the guy's chance of joining a three-man playoff for the PGA championship, but clings inflexibly to a set of arcane rules that create that kind of sad scenario.

I know that the rules are the rules, but when the incompetence of the PGA creates a situation where hundreds of spectators are allowed to obscure an obstacle so that one of the tournament leaders cannot even see the entire area around his ball, it would seem reasonable to expect something more than a strict interpretation of a local course rule that was news to most of the players in the event. Especially when that player has already walked off the course in an apparent three-way tie for the lead.

Of course, why should anyone be surprised? This is, after all, a sport that is willing to disqualify a player for accidentally misreporting one stroke even though the scores of every player are kept independently and broadcast by the television networks on a minute-by-minute basis. Do you really think somebody ought to lose the U.S. Open after four hard days of competition over a typo?

This is just the latest stupid golf trick, but don't expect it to be the last. I watched the interviews after the PGA and the golf bureaucrats are sure they did exactly the right thing. Give Johnson credit for handling the situation with class when he could have been forgiven for signing his scorecard and sticking it in somebody's ear.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: News of the day, Schmuck being Schmuck
        

The Pittsburgh Pirates were nice enough to lose to the San Diego Padres late last night to drop a half-game behind the Orioles in the overall won-loss rankings. I only know this because was rudely awakened by a raucous crowd outside my house chanting "We're No. 29."

Schmuck vacation update: I'll be on a plane to Reno all morning and on the golf course in Lake Tahoe in the afternoon. Talk amongst yourselves.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (241)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Well, at least for the next few hours. The Orioles' victory tonight -- their eighth in nine games under Buck Showalter -- moved them percentage points ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the overall won-loss rankings. The Pirates play the San Diego Padres later tonight with a chance to put the O's back in their place.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (39)
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Obviously, Brad Bergesen has settled into a groove the past couple of weeks. He was simply dazzling tonight, giving up just the a single in the fifth inning and single in the ninth on the way to his second career complete game, but he had some help.

Josh Bell had a terrific all-around game, playing solid defense and contributing three hits to the Orioles' 13-hit attack, and Brian Roberts hit his second home run in three games.

And, of course, there's Buck and the terrific roll the team has been on since he took over as manager. Obviously, I'm impressed with the results, but there's still a chicken-and-egg question to answer. Do you think (A) Buck's arrival somehow made the starting rotation better or (B) the starting rotation found it's footing just in time to make Showalter look like a miracle worker?

I'm going to go with (C) Who cares?

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)
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Now, if you didn't automatically apply the Spanish pronunciation of Pie, you probably are thinking this is another of my diet updates. Well, the diet is going great and I may have to rethink my blog photo, but this entry is about Felix Pie and the way he continues to blossom into a pretty good player.

I'm guessing there isn't anybody out there who still believes that Andy MacPhail was crazy to deal for Pie. Felix is coming on strong at the plate and is starting to look more polished in the outfield. He made a great running catch in the bottom of the third inning and made a great throw to first to complete an inning-ending double play. Last night, of course, it was his three-run homer to center that turned the game in favor of the Orioles.

OK, I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who don't think Pie's success cancels out Rich Hill and Garrett Atkins, but give MacPhail credit for recognizing all that untapped potential, even if it remained untapped until Pie and MacPhail had moved over from the Cubs to the Orioles.

No-hitter update: Brad Bergesen finally gave up a base hit with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. That single by Luis Valbuena also broke up the shutout, but the Orioles still hold a 3-1 lead int he sixth.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
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The resurgence of the Orioles has spawned a debate on the blog about the impact of a late-season upturn on the club's draft position next June. The O's appeared to be streaking toward the No. 1 overall pick and now have put that into question by inching perilously close to overtaking the Pittsburgh Pirates in the race for the second-worst record in baseball.

It's an interesting ethical and philosophical question. If, for the sake of argument, the next Evan Longoria is poised to be the No. 1 pick next June, should the Orioles spend the month of September looking entirely at prospects instead of trying to squeeze out every victory?

I think not for a number of reasons, the first of which is that there really are no sure things in the draft. Even a Stephen Strasburg can go bust in pro ball, so I don't think it's wise to intentionally degrade your on-field major league product even in a situation like this. The Orioles need to turn a corner at some point and you can't afford to steer straight if that corner presents itself. Not saying it has this week. Just saying that you have to go where the honest competition takes you.

It won't be an issue here because new manager Buck Showalter has made it clear that he's trying to instill a winning mindset from the get-go. He isn't going to sacrifice that possibility in exchange for the difference between the No. 1 overall pick and the second or third overall pick in next year's draft. No matter what happens, the Orioles figure to get one of those three and it's always possible that a small-market team like the Pirates will let the better player slip on signability concerns.

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Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (75)
        

Just finished reading an extended blog entry by Jeff Zrebiec on Orioles Insider and I've got to chime in and back him up. There's no question in my mind that the arrival of Buck Showalter has been an elixir for this team -- though it's hard to pinpoint the exact reason -- but it's not like the Orioles never came back to win a game in the late innings.

They've had other junctures in this lost season when they delivered a quick burst of adequacy, but this is definitely the most dynamic indication that there is more talent here than has been reflected in the won-loss record.

I don't think it's necessary to use Showalter to support a turn-back-the-clock argument for hiring someone else to start the season. Obviously, the team didn't play well for Trembley during the first couple of months, but I don't think they were in a position to play well for anyone at that point. Suddenly, Brian Roberts is back and starting to play like Brian Roberts. Felix Pie is starting to look comfortable again, and Michael Gonzalez is a different pitcher since coming back from the disabled list.

Throw in seven straight quality starts and that 6-1 record wouldn't have been such a stretch of the imagination.

That said, I do believe that the hiring of Showalter has been catalytic for a number of possible reasons -- from an increase in overall intensity to a much higher level of confidence in what is going on inside the organization.

Trembley was at a huge disadvantage. It's tough to earn and maintain the respect of the players when the team is not having success...and Trembley never managed a team that had a legitimate chance to play .500 ball in the American League East. Showalter already earned that respect elsewhere, which makes a world of difference coming into such a difficult situation.

Let's leave it at this. Dave did what he was asked to do by the organization, but the poor results make it tough to measure his contribution. If you doubt that, I have to ask one question: Do you think that Showalter called all the young starters into a room last Tuesday and taught them how to pitch?

Associated Press photo

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (87)
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Buck Showalter and the Orioles just enjoyed one of the best homestands in recent memory, capped off by Brian Roberts' walk-off home run in the 10th inning to knock the Chicago White Sox out of sole possession of first place in the American League Central.

Not bad. They also knocked the Los Angeles Angels out of second place in the AL West in the opening series of Showalter's managerial tenure.

Now, for their next trick, they are in Cleveland to see if this brief era of good feelings will continue on the road, where their 14-40 record is -- of course -- the worst in the American League.

Believe it or not, If they can keep playing well against the last-place Indians, they actually have a chance to escape the cruel distinction of having the worst record in baseball. The Pittsburgh Pirates have been creeping down on them, and stand just 1 1/2 games better going into tonight's games. The Pirates already have the worst road record in all of baseball (13-42) so the worst overall record probably won't be far behind.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (48)
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Everyone in the Camden Yards press box had one eye on the Orioles and one eye on the TV monitors showing the ninth inning of Brandon Morrow's near no-hitter yesterday, so there was an audible sigh when Evan Longoria broke up one of the greatest single-game pitching performances of all time with a two-out single in the ninth inning.

The most dominating non-perfect game, of course, belongs to then-Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, who pitched a one-hitter against the Houston Astros on May 6, 1998 that featured a record-tying 20 strikeouts.

Morrow said afterward that he wasn't all that disappointed, since he still got his first career shutout, first 17-strikeout game, first complete game and first one-hitter, but I don't believe a word of it. When you get that close to a truly historic moment in baseball, it's going to eat at you for awhile.

The Orioles complete their four-game series against the Chicago White Sox tonight at Camden Yards. Brian Matusz will try to extend his team's string of six straight quality starts under new manager Buck Showalter when he faces new White Sox starter Edwin Jackson.

On a personal note, I'm starting a week's vacation with a day of fairway research today, so you won't hear much from me. I'll still chime in occasionally during the week, but with the Orioles headed out of town, it seemed like a good time to get some R&R and head west for a few days. I know there's a Ravens preseason game this week, but I think Joe Flacco can play his one quarter without me. I'll be back in time for the Redskins next week.

Quick golf note: In honor of Tiger Woods, I'm going to try and shoot a 77 today. I'm guessing I'll feel a lot better about it than he did.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (65)
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Alfredo Simon raised everybody's pulse in the ninth inning, giving up a two-run home run to catcher Ramon Castro to make it a one-run game, but got the final two outs to preserve the victory for Jeremy Guthrie.

That makes six straight quality starts by the Orioles rotation since Buck Showalter took over as manager.

"It's not like theese guys haven't pitched well this year,'' Showalter said. "They seem to be feeding off each other, wanting to keep the quality start streak going. And I'm OK with that."

He's also OK with Simon, even though he continues to cut it close in save opportunities. That was No. 17, but it wasn't pretty.

"If you look at his experience level closing out games,'' Showalter said, "sometimes guys who don't have a whole lot of experience try to close it out too fast. He kind of pitched into Castro's strength. Sometimes they get in too big a hurry to finish out the inning and end up making it last longer than it should."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)
        

Jeremy Guthrie is busy producing the sixth straight strong starting performance out of the Orioles rotation, and it looks like he might get rewarded for it. He has dueled with White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle into the sixth inning, and the Orioles just rallied for two runs on a leadoff walk and consecutive doubles by Nick Markakis and Ty Wigginton to break a 1-1 tie.

Guthrie has been on quite a roll. In his previous four starts, he has worked into or through the seventh innings each time and given up a total of six earned runs (27 2/3) innings. Throw in his first seven innings today, and his ERA over his last five starts is 1.82.

Instant update: Didn't expect Guthrie to return for the eighth, but he did and retired the side in order in impressive fashion, striking out Carlos Quentin to end the inning. His ERA over his last five starts now stands at 1.77. He's at 116 pitches, so we'll probably see Alfredo Simon in the ninth.

Key stat: The starting rotation has posted a combined 1.94 ERA during the first six games of this seven-game homestand.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
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Orioles shortstop Cesar Izturis dropped a bloop single into center field for the 1,000th hit of his major league career and got a partial standing ovation. He also got a hug from Felix Pie when they crossed paths on the infield after the inning.

That was the highlight of the inning. The lowlight was Jake Fox getting thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on what was essentially an infield hit by Josh Bell. The ball appeared to be headed for center field, but it was knocked down by second baseman Gordon Beckham, who got up quickly and made an accurate one-hop throw to the plate to get Fox on a surprisingly close play.

Fox apparently assumed the ball was going through and squandered a bases-loaded situation with Brian Roberts coming to the plate. It's the second day in a row that the O's have made a key baserunning mistake. Last night, Ty Wigginton got thrown out at third after inexplicably hesitating between second and third.

Shameless plug: Hey, I forgot to plug today's column on Buck Showalter, which you can find on the Web site right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly have designated veteran outfielder Garret Anderson for assignment and purchased the minor league contract of our old friend Jay Gibbons. Though Jay was prominent in baseball's steroid/HGH scandal, I can't help but root for him to make a successful comeback.

Gibbons was batting .347 with 19 home runs in 376 at-bats at Triple-A Albuquerque. Anderson, who had a terrific career with the Angels, was batting just .181 and appears to be headed for retirement.

Gibbons got his first Dodgers at-bat in the bottom of the sixth inning of their game against the Washington Nationals. With two on and two out, he singled to center field, driving in Ronnie Belliard and extending Los Angeles' lead to 6-3.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
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The Orioles could not hold that early 2-0 lead, even though Kevin Millwood turned in the club's fifth straight strong start. He gave up just a run on five hits over six innings, but the Orioles bullpen continues to search for consistency.

Jason Berken gave up two runs and Matt Albers surrendered an insurance run in the ninth to give the Chicago White Sox a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. J.J. Putz finished up to bring an end to Buck Showalter's four-game O's winning streak.

Just when you thought the Orioles had gotten some important fundamental matters figured out, they regressed with a mistake-prone performance that included two errors and a bad baserunning gaffe.

Oh well, Showalter wasn't going to win them all, but it would hvae been nice to chalk up a fifth straight victory on the night that Johnny Oates and Ray Miller were inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles jumped out to a two-run lead in the early innings of tonight's game, thanks to Adam Jones' 16th home run of the season in the second inning and a run-scoring single by Ty Wigginton in the third.

That third inning might have been more productive, but for a base-running blunder by Wigginton, who was headed from first to third on a single by Luke Scott when he hesitated between second and third and ran into the last out of the inning.

Not sure what happened there. The throw back to the infield from left fielder Juan Pierre was behind Wigginton, but he suddenly stopped and then tried to continue on to third. Second baseman Gordon Beckham made a quick turn on the cutoff and delivered a perfect strike to third baseman Omar Vizquel.

It was the kind of unsightly mistake that characterized the frightening first four months of this season, but the first glaring baserunning error in Buck Showalter's first five games as manager.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles inducted Johnny Oates, Ray Miller and Lenny Johnston into the Orioles Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony tonight. Andy Oates delivered the acceptance speech for Johnny, with Johnny's wife Gloria and the rest of the kids and grand kids on the field.

Miller, honored for an O's career that included 11 seasons as pitching coach and two as manager, spent part of his speech memorializing long-time Orioles Elrod Hendricks and Cal Ripken Sr.

Johnston received the Herb Armstrong Award, which honors a non-uniformed member of the Orioles organization.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles remain undefeated under new manager Buck Showalter, and the only real question right now is "Why?" Showalter clearly is a high-energy, highly organized guy who has already started the process of remaking the clubhouse culture of this team. But he is not a miracle worker and he really hasn't spent a lot of time teaching individual players new strategies for success.

So how do you explain his instant success? To be honest, I have no idea. I'm guessing that Showalter's presence has helped refocus some players, but I really doubt that this is a significantly different team than the one that Juan Samuel handed over to him at the beginning of the week.

I'm not discounting his impact. Quite the contrary. I definitely think he's a major reason for the club's four-game turnaround, but I'm still pondering the psychology of it all. Adam Jones has been very honest in his opinion that Showalter's reputation has caused everyone on the team to rethink how they go about things. Maybe that's it, but I'm not sure how that suddenly leads to a string of very strong pitching performances. I'm guessing Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta and Brian Bergesen have felt tremendous pressure to pitch efficiently all season, so why would more pressure -- however self-imposed -- suddenly lead to more success?

I continue to monitor your opinions, and encourage anyone who wants to talk about it to join me at noon for "Sportsline" on WBAL (1090AM) and WBAL.com. We'll discuss the Orioles' resurgence, talk some Ravens football and look at the past week in sports. Don't be shy.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Don't think I'm the only one scratching my head over the tight performance of the Orioles since the arrival of new manager Buck Showalter, but I wanted to get a sense for how the players view the before-and-after picture that they've become. So, I asked Ty Wigginton after last night's game if he looks back and wonders why the Orioles couldn't seem to play like this for more than a few innings at a time before Buck got here.

"I don't think you do that,'' Wigginton said. "I think we just seem to haeve gotten a little confidence and that's huge. That's when you see streaks like this. There's the cliche about it being contagious, but it's definitely true. I don't think you look back. You've got to look forward."

So, does it come from Showalter? Does it grow out of the fact that Brian Roberts is back in the leadoff spot?

"I think you can look anywhere,'' Wigginton said. "I think it comes down to getting that confidence and just rolling with it."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Just baseball
        

What do you know. Adam Jones just poked a single through the left side of the infield to score Nick Markakis and give the Orioles a 2-1 extra-inning victory over the first-place Chicago White Sox.

That makes four straight victories for Buck Showalter, and they haven't come against soft opponents. The Angels were struggling when they got here, but they were in second place. The White Sox came in 1 1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central.

How do you explain the way this team has played under Buck?

Don't even try. Just enjoy it while it lasts.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Just baseball
        

In each of the past three games, Buck Showalter has gotten a taste of what was wrong with the Orioles before he got here. They nearly blew a 9-1 lead on Wednesday night and let a 4-0 lead get away in the eighth inning last night. This time, they put themselves in prime position to win the game in the bottom of the eighth -- with runners at second and third with no one out and the heart of the order coming up -- and found a way not to score.

Ty Wigginton didn't have to apologize, since he lined out to third base, but after the Sox walked Luke Scott intentionally, Adam Jones popped out and pinch hitter Corey Patterson struck out to end the inning.

The O's made a habit of blowing opportunities like that during the first four months of the season, but that was the first glaring example during the early days of the Showalter era.

The last two nights, they've emerged victorious anyway. Now, they're headed into extra innings. Let's see what happens.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Ravens have been running a poll at baltimoreravens.com to find out if Ravens fans would favor a return to the old Baltimore Colts fight song with new Baltimore Ravens lyrics. So for, fans are favoring the new version of the old standard over the current Ravens fight song by a margin of 77 percent to 23 percent (with more than 6,000 votes recorded).

Looks like you've made up your minds.

The Ravens have tried to be very sensitive to the feelings of long-time Baltimore football fans, some of whom might be offended by an attempt to use a piece of the storied history of the old Colts to fire up Ravens fans. I'm sure there will be some ruffled feathers -- there always are -- but I'm pretty sure the vast majority of local football fans will embrace the new/old song.

I'm probably the wrong guy to offer an opinion either way, since I did not live in the Baltimore area when the Colts were here, but if it were up to me, I'd leave well enough alone. There is an old wound there that has never really healed, and I'm not sure that reminding fans of it at the start of every home game is a great idea.

There's already a pretty good debate going on about this on the Sun message boards, but I'd still like to hear what you think. I'm trying to decide whether to write a column on the subject for Sunday and you thoughts might help.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)
Categories: Just football
        

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network sent out ratings figures today that appear to show that Orioles fans are pretty excited about new manager Buck Showalter. The overnights showed that 61,000 households tuned into Thursday night's series finale, in which the Orioles completed a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels. That 5.6 household rating is well above the average 3.3 rating the O's were getting before Showalter replaced interim manager Juan Samuel.

The Orioles broadcast on Thursday night was the top-rated prime show in the Baltimore area. Showalter's arrival also has pumped up viewership numbers in the DC area.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The last thing the Los Angeles Angels needed this week was for the Orioles to wake up and sweep them out of Camden Yards. The Angels have been struggling and they've fallen into third place in the American League West. If they had done what most other good teams have done to the O's this year, they'd still be in second and wouldn't be flirting with a double-digit divisional deficit at this late stage of the season.

There's no explaining what has happened the past three nights, except to draw the obvious connection to the debut of new Orioles manager Buck Showalter, but he'd probably tell you that it can't be that simple or obvious.

"That's really not for me to say,'' he said after last night's 5-4 sudden-death victory. "If it's something positive, I'm in. They've had enough negative, and they blame themselves for that. To see them have three good days and feeling good about themselves, I feel good for them."

What is not in dispute is that the Orioles are getting good pitching from their starters and getting some clutch hits, which -- when added together -- generally equals winning baseball. That equation is pretty simple. It's definitely fair to conclude that Showalter's arrival changed the psychology of the club, but he really hasn't changed much else so far.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (49)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Buck Showalter said that he was not too upset after Torii Hunter launched a game-tying three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning, though it wiped away a big lead and forced the Orioles to scramble for the victory in the ninth.

"It happens,'' he said. "This is part of playing in the American League. There are some big, strong, hairy guys here who can hit it where the grass doesn't grow. That's part of playing in this division. We've got some big guys, too, but maybe not as hairy."

One of the best things to come out of that temporarily bad situation, according to Showalter, was Jason Berken's reaction to it. He gave up the big home run, but stayed in the game to finish the eighth and pitch a scoreless ninth to get the victory.

"Berken was trying to go down and away, but the ball ran back over the plate,'' Showalter said. "But like I said, I loved the way he came back out there to pitch the next inning. I could have easily gone to somebody else, but I told Kranny (pitching coach Rick Kranitz) I want to see him pitch the next inning."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)
Categories: Just baseball
        

They've made it very interesting the last two nights, but the Orioles completed the three-game sweep over the Los Angeles Angels when Cesar Izturis roped a ball through the drawn-up infield in the bottom of the ninth to score pinch-runner Julio Lugo from third for the sudden-death victory.

Jason Berken, who surrendered the game-tying three-run homer in the top of the eighth, stayed around to pitch a scoreless ninth and get the victory.

Spread the credit around again. Matt Wieters got the game-winning rally started with a double into the gap in left center field. Corey Patterson, who had two hits in his first three at-bats, laid down a perfect sacrifice to move Lugo over. Good, solid fundamental baseball. Who knew?

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

Through little fault of his own, Jake Arrieta will go home without a victory tonight. He pitched an outstanding 7 2/3 innings, only to turn a 4-0 lead over to the bullpen and see it evaporate in record time.

Buck Showalter went out and got him after he allowed a second baserunner in the eighth, which made some sense when you consider that he was up to a career-high 107 pitches and his velocity was beginning to wane, but Michael Gonzalez made the move look bad by giving up a run-scoring single to Bobby Abreu and Jason Berken made it look worse by giving up a game-tying three-run homer to Torii Hunter.

And to think the O's would have been out of the inning without any harm if Brian Roberts had not bobbled a routine double play ball.

What a shame. Arrieta took a no-hitter into the fifth and had given up just four hits. The game seemed to be in hand and the Orioles appeared to be on their way to a three-game sweep of the struggling Angels.

Maybe they'll still get it, but it was a very deflating eighth inning.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Jake Arrieta carried a perfect game through the second out of the fifth inning before Alberto Callaspo broke it up with a double to right field that barely evaded a diving attempt by Nick Markakis.

Of course, I would have mentioned it sooner, but I didn't want to jinx the guy. He got the next guy, so he will enter the sixth inning still working on a one-hit shutout.

Meanwhile, Angels veteran Dan Haren is working on a shutout, too. He has allowed just four hits and has worked out of a couple of jams.

Both pitchers are working with low pitch counts. Arrieta has thrown just 56 pitches through five innings. Haren just threw his 68th pitch of the game and gave up a one-out single to Corey Patterson in the bottom of the fifth.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Buck Showalter has gone with a fairly set lineup during his first series as manager, but he made one major change for the finale against the Angels. Corey Patterson is starting in the designated hitter spot and Ty Wigginton has moved over to third base.

It's unclear whether it was done out of necessity. New third baseman Josh Bell cramped up on Wednesday night, but he apparently is available tonight if needed. Showalter said he might have made the change anyway.

"I wanted to get Patty in there,'' he said.

Patterson wanted to get in there, too, since the next two months are going to be a continual audition for all but a few cornerstone players.

"That's the way I always look at it,'' he said. "I'm always auditioning, whether I was a rookie or a veteran, and now I've got eight years of major league service time. I've always taken the attitude that I have to showcase. Hopefully, they'll consider signing me for next year. I hope it works out here, or with another team."

Showalter said he doesn't have a big problem with the players feeling they have to audition for him over the next two months, though he hopes they didn't start caring about that three days ago..

"It shouldn't be a sometime thing,'' he said. "It's a body of work. Sometimes, coaches and managers forget how tough this game is...and forget how bad they were some times when they were playing the game."

In short, the players are on trial to some extent, but this isn't a daily casting call.

"It's not American Idol,'' he said.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles have announced that they will belatedly honor Orioles great Jim Gentile before tomorrow night's game against the Chicago White Sox for winning a share of the American League RBI title in 1961.

The O's aren't the ones who are late, however.

Gentile finished the 1961 season with 141 RBI, apparently one behind Roger Maris, but it was learned later that a scorekeeper's error gave Maris an RBI on a run that scored on an error. Major League Baseball recently verified the statistical correction and recognized Gentile as the co-leader.

Buy Orioles Gear

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

The Brett Favre saga is starting to play like that Monty Python routine where the guy keeps insisting "I'm not quite dead." Brett, despite reports to the contrary on Tuesday, remains undecided about his future and the Minnesota Vikings remain in limbo a week into training camp.

To be fair, they don't seem to mind. They'll be thrilled If he shows up after Dr. James Andrews examines his surgically-repaired ankle next week, and that's how this figures to play out. Favre is going to conveniently miss a chunk of camp -- as any veteran player in his position would -- and then make another grand entrance.

No one should have a problem with that. I enjoy poking at him here and in my "Week in Review" column every Saturday, but I'd love to see him make one more playoff run.

Or two.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Just football
        

Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec just watched the Orioles reel off another string of clutch hits -- highlighted by Luke Scott's 20th homer -- and asked the question that was on the tip of everybody's tongue:

"Who are these guys?"

The Orioles have looked like a different team the past two nights. They look like a real good team tonight, with Brian Matusz pitching very well and almost everyone contributing to a rare runaway offensive effort. They sent Ervin Santana packing with their 12th hit of the game in the fourth inning.

The bullpen was shaky, which is why it's a pretty good idea to have an eight-run lead once in awhile.

Of course, it's just a couple of games and the O's have pretty much played the same guys who were out there before Buck Showalter took over as manager, but I don't believe in coincidences. Maybe the players are just extra motivated to show him they are better than their abysmal record. Maybe the arrival of a big-name guy just woke them up.

Or maybe this is just a dead-cat bounce. Whatever the reason, enjoy it while it lasts.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (47)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Brian Roberts was caught off second base in the bottom of the first inning, but the throw by Angels catcher Jeff Mathis struck him on the left ankle and he dove back safely to the bag. It was getting back up that was the problem.

Roberts stayed in a crouch and seemed to be waiting for help, but he eventually took his lead and Irvin Santana made his next pitch. When Roberts continued to exhibit signs of significant discomfort, trainer Richie Bancells and manager Buck Showalter went out to check on him. He remained in the game and returned to his position for the second inning.

Stay tuned.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The next few weeks are all about early impressions. Buck Showalter will be learning about everyone on the roster and everyone on the roster will be learning about him. That's why tonight's start by Brian Matusz takes on some extra importance.

Showalter undoubtedly has seen Matusz pitch before, but this is still an opportunity for the kid to make a big first impression. He has been dogged by some inexplicable inconsistency over the past few weeks, but he'll have no excuse for lacking focus tonight. I'll probably put the kiss of death on him by saying this, but I think he'll jack up a big performance.

Why does it matter? That's a fair question, since Matusz will be in the Orioles starting rotation for the foreseeable future and a bad outing tonight would not change that, but Showalter will be getting a feel for his overall makeup, which might impact the level of confidence the manager may show in him when the going gets tough in future outings.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Woke up this morning and realized that I forgot to promo the column I wrote about Buck Showalter during last night's game. Buck was pretty low-key in his debut, but you can't argue with the outcome.

If you want to read my take on his first day in the manager's office, you can pick up a copy of today's print edition or check it out on the Web site right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Shameless plug
        

New manager Buck Showalter met in right field with Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis during pregame warmups, and it probably wasn't no accident that he did it in front of the rest of the team. Roberts and Markakis are the two players who are signed long-term and are viewed as the de facto captains of the club.

Both Markakis and Roberts weighed in on Showalter's arrival before the game, though with differing levels of apparent enthusiasm.

"It's nice to know we have a guy that's going to be here for awhile,'' Markakis said. "There is an understanding that we as players have to go out and play and play hard."

Roberts just seemed to take all the attention surrounding Showalter's debut in stride.

"It was just like every other manager that has come in,'' Roberts said. "Some things will change, some things will change and you just adapt. The biggest thing is at 7 o’clock, you go play baseball.

"I think at this point, he’s mostly going to come in and evaluate and watch us play baseball for the last 60 games. Obviously when this period is over, we’ll all know a lot more about him.
I’ve been through six of them. I don’t necessarily get excited about new managers. I guess only time will tell."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The suspense continues to build at Ravens training camp, where veteran wideout Derrick Mason had to be helped off the field with a twisted right ankle. It doesn't appear to be a serious setback, but the Ravens will just have to wait and see.

If there is a bright side to this particular injury -- regardless of the severity -- it is that the Ravens have decidedly more depth at wide receiver this year with the addition of veterans Anquon Boldin and Donte Stallworth and rookie David Reed. If Mason misses a lot of time, it could create more reps for Demetrius Williams, who may need to move up the depth chart at least on slot to make the team.

There is a wide range of possibility here for Mason. If it's a garden-variety ankle sprain, he shouldn't be out for more than a week or two. If it's a high ankle sprain, that's a much more time-consuming injury.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Just football
        

Since M&T Bank will be the site of this year's "Crab Bowl Classic" between Maryland and Navy, the Ravens hosted the coaching staff from each team at today's practice and the two head coaches met the media on the field at McDaniel College.

Obviously, they're both excited about the game on Sept. 6, which will be the first time these teams have met since that heart-stopping game in 2005 when a missed tackle cost Navy a chance to score a major upset.

To some degree, the shoe is on the other foot this year, since it is Navy that will come into the game with the higher national profile.

"We're looking for a great game,'' said Ralph Friedgen. "It's a great challenge. They are one of the best teams in the country."

Both Friedgen and Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said they would favor this game being an annual event.

"I think it's huge, especially for us,'' said Fridge. "Navy has a big rivalry with Army. To have this in-state rivalry, I think it helps the whole state. Having it in Baltimore just accentuates that."

"We need to play more,'' said Niumatalolo. "We've got two great institutions so close together. We're looking forward to it. Maryland is looking forward to it. Ralph is looking forward to it."

The game is part of an ESPN doubleheader that also features the opener between Boise State and Virginia Tech at FedEx Stadium.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Just football
        

Buck Showalter is considered a master of preparation, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is prepared for what he's going to encounter in the Orioles organization. If you want to read more on this subject, check out my column in today's print edition or read it on the Web site right here.

I'll also weigh in today on Showalter's first game as Orioles manager, but only after I head out to Ravens camp for early practice and the on-field coaches confab to promote the Sept. 6 showdown between Maryland and Navy at M&T Bank Stadium.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles held a noon media conference to introduce Buck Showalter, who was announced Thursday as the new permanent manager. Showalter and Andy MacPhail answered questions for 40 minutes and shed some light on what their relationship will be like, but Showalter remained a bit guarded about what he expects to happen over the next few months.

Here's Andy's opening statement:

"Every time you guys have asked me about a manager I have gone on and talked about how I think it has to be a custom fit. Different things work in different places. There are probably, conservatively four, maybe more, potential Hall of Fame managers out there that share one thing in common: That they have been let go and replaced prior to where they are and they have found the right niche and the right franchise, more importantly, found them.

"What we have currently in our franchise is we have a young core of players that are struggling, taking a step backwards, they haven’t been exposed to winning type environments. We for the last couple of months have been trying to find somebody that has had some experience in creating that environment. That has been exposed to young rosters before and knows how to prepare young players to be as good as they possibly can be.

"We were looking for somebody that had some experience at that. Some success in that. We just didn’t feel like this was a circumstance where we could bring somebody in that had never managed at the major league level before. I am sure there are a lot of good candidates out there but it was essential, in our view, that we bring somebody in that has been there and done that before."

Here's some of Buck's opening statement:

"I know a lot of people have asked, ‘Why, Why Baltimore?’ I’ve had some people kick the tires and other things the last couple years, but I think what you miss is you miss the exhilarating feeling of competing for a common cause with a group of men and women. You miss that team where you put yourself every night for a common cause. As a group, as an organization and I think, in this case, more importantly, the fans. Knowing the percentage of people who watch the baseball games on MASN and knowing the percentage of people who come out to the stadium, they're there. We just have to put a product on the field that they want to be a part of. I think a lot of times we confuse change for a lack of respect for tradition. And that obviously won't be the case here."

Associated Press photo

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (45)
Categories: Just baseball
        

It should be no secret by now that I made my professional wrestling debut on Saturday night at the Maryland Championship Wrestling Shamrock Cup event at the New Green Room in Dundalk. What you might not know yet is that it didn't go quite as I expected. If that was "scripted entertainment," somebody showed me the wrong script, because I was totally blindsided by Kevin Eck at the end and -- frankly -- dropped like a bad habit in front of a rabid crowd that was looking for blood.

There was no blood, but there is video, which my boss says I have to put up on the blog. I'm am doing so under protest, because it does not show the behind-the-scenes treachery that led to my shocking defeat. I'm a classy guy, so I will congratulate Kevin Eck for withstanding the tremendous punishment I delivered to him during the match, but I'm still trying to get the final scene out of my mind. Don't want to spoil it for you, but look for the pink-clad Cole Calloway to plant a big wet kiss on Kevin at the end.

So, without further adieu, here is the "Battle of the Blogs." I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

;

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: MCW: The Schmuckdown, Schmuck being Schmuck
        

The Buck Showalter news conference starts in just a little more than a half hour at the B&O Warehouse, and I'll weigh in here about it afterward. If you want to watch it, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) will be broadcasting it live. Enjoy.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Just baseball
        

I'm guessing Juan Samuel will be relieved to be relieved of his first major league command. The Orioles did seem to respond to his managerial temperament, but that wasn't reflected in their performance.

The final insult was today's 5-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals, which featured a solid performance by Orioles castoff Bruce Chen. The Orioles tried to rally in the ninth -- putting runners at first and second with no one our -- but Nick Markakis bounced into a double play and Cesar Izturis would eventually be stranded at third.

So, Buck Showalter inherits a team that has lost 14 of its last 17 games and is heading into a month of August that features 20 games against teams that are in first or second place in their divisions. And this will be the easier of the two remaining months of the regular season. The Orioles play the September/October portion of the schedule against Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers, Red Sox and Rays.

There are 57 games left to play, so the question of the day is an obvious one.

How many games will Buck win over the remainder of the season?

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (46)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If you didn't make it to the Maryland Championship Wrestling Shamrock Cup event last night at The New Green Room in Dundalk, I guess I'll have to give you the sad details. Though I laid some impressive abuse on Kevin Eck and Ronnie Zukko during the six-man tag team match that kicked off the second half of the show -- and was just about to put the ultimated blog smackdown on Kevin with my laptop -- I was temporarily distracted by Ronnie's henchwoman (a fetching young thing named Kim) and blindsided by Eck, who performed a crude version of an RKO that left me with a wrenched neck and a perfect excuse to take several weeks of sick leave.

I want to thank my boys Fed Up for joining me in my attempt to shut down Ring Posts, and I also want to apologize for letting them down. They put on a great show, only to have me (left) let a pretty young wench divert my attention at the last minute and blow the match. I will not apologize for being a heterosexual, however, expecially after seeing Kevin in a singlet and Cole Calloway in pink spandex.

There wasn't blood, but there will be video. Baltimore Sun videographer Kevin Richardson recorded the whole thing for posterity, so you'll soon be able to witness the treachery that led to this clearly unfair outcome.

Still, I want to thank the wrestling fans in Dundalk for making me feel welcome, in spite of some untoward remarks about the area that I now regret. I was only there for a few hours, so I didn't get to see everything, but you have a very nice Wal-Mart.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: MCW: The Schmuckdown