Since one of my Facebook friends asked me to dig up my first-ever column for the Baltimore Sun -- from way back on Feb. 4, 1990 -- I figure the least I can do is also post it here, which is either a public service or just a way to post a really long item without actually doing any work.

This column was written at the request of sports editor Marty Kaiser soon after he hired me away from the Orange County Register (a decision he would come to regret). He thought an explanation of my odd name was necessary or the readers might think my arrival was just some kind of journalistic practical joke.

So, without further adieu, is that column, which you'll have to click once more to read:

BALTIMORE -- First of all, let's dispense with the obvious questions.

Yes, it is my real name. No, I never considered changing it. And yes, it's kind of tough to order a pizza over the phone, which is one of the reasons I moved to Baltimore instead of Chicago.

Pardon the first-person narrative. It won't happen again, but when you arrive in a new city with a name like Schmuck, it's usually a good idea to explain yourself.

I'm one of the thousands of Southern Californians who watched the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving Day and decided to move to a colder climate. Baltimore seemed like the perfect spot, though it would be even better if it had a giant inflatable Bullwinkle for special occasions.

I left California because I could no longer tolerate a state that once turned down my request for a personalized license plate on the grounds that my surname is "obscene and offensive to public decency." True story. You can look it up. The Department of Motor Vehicles eventually relented, but it soon became obvious that there are better places to raise your kids than Southern California.

I realized that about the time my 5-year-old son started greeting me with "Hey, dude" instead of "Hi, Dad." There definitely are better places to cover baseball.

For 11 seasons, I watched the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels combine to draw nearly 6 million fans a year. But I also watched about 5 million of them head for the parking lots in the seventh inning. Even the night Jim Abbott pitched his first major-league shutout -- matched against Roger Clemens, no less -- it was just like clockwork. They came. They yawned. They conquered the urge to stay past 9 p.m.

Perhaps in an area that has nine major professional teams situated on the same 110-mile stretch of over-priced real estate, people can afford to be blase. Not so in Baltimore, where baseball is king and the Orioles are on the rebound. That's why I jumped at the opportunity to cover them for The Sun. Baseball always has had a special place in my family history, though no Schmuck ever made it to the big leagues (unless you count Reggie Jackson).

To my knowledge, no Schmuck ever even made it to the high school varsity. I certainly didn't. My father, as a teen-ager growing up in St. Louis, used to work on Dizzy Dean's car. That ought to count for something. My brother was a promising young player, but traded his baseball future for a surfboard in about 1965. Only in California.

I had no baseball talent whatsoever, so I did the next best thing. I gained 40 pounds and became a sports writer. What a country. There are certain advantages to having a strange name. No one ever forgets it, and even total strangers seem to know who I am whenever I do something stupid in traffic. My brother got so tired of the constant ribbing that he changed his name and moved to a small town in Central California. But don't be fooled. He's just another Schmuck.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Schmuck being Schmuck
        

When it was all said and done, the Orioles helped the Yankees a little more than the Rays, or should I say hurt the Yankees a little less than the Rays. The O's went 3-3 in their home-and-home Yankees stretch-drive series and 4-2 against the Rays.

I think 7-5 against those two teams while they're battling tooth and nail for the AL East title is more than a little impressive. There's no doubt Buck has this team in a totally different mindset from game to game, which is why that four-game losing streak against Boston and Toronto didn't turn into another late-season wipeout.

If you want to celebrate the O's avoiding a 100-loss season, that's fine, too, though it doesn't mean a whole lot to me. It also will be small consolation if the Orioles at least split with the Tigers to make good on Andy's prediction in one of my May columns that the team would still improve on last year's record. The best thing to do is just act like a new Orioles era started on Aug. 3 and go from there.

Today's Dan Connolly-like question: When was the last time you cared this much about an upcoming offseason?

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Just baseball
        

I'm guessing a lot of you are wondering what I do for a living, since I haven't been around here in a couple of days. I thought you might like a little time among yourselves, and I also had some important newspaper work to do. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The only proof I have is my column on the rivalry between the Ravens and Steelers -- and between Baltimore and Pittsburgh. If you haven't read it already, you can absorb a little of my wit and wisdom right here.
If you'd like to join in the conversation, tell me what you think.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The three-game sweep in Toronto was probably disheartening for a lot of Orioles fans, but at least it may have helped lock up that No. 3 pick in next year's draft.

Just kidding. I'm actually getting fired up for the series against the Rays that starts tonight in the House that Frank Lloyd Wright Would Have Built If He Used LSD. The Orioles have acquitted themselves very well in the September series that have had playoff implications and this is their chance to make things difficult for the Rays, who hold a half-game lead over the Yankees going into the final week of the regular season.

The Yankees play on the road against the Blue Jays, who are on a bit of a roll, so it should be interesting.

If you're sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to see if Andy MacPhail's prediction in May comes true, the Orioles need to go 4-3 over the final seven games to have a better record than last year. Now, there's some small consolation for you.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (43)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Today's featured comment actually came in yesterday from Keith Rowe, who took issue with my column about the pros and cons of the middle-of-the-lineup hitters that might be available this winter. Of course, I appreciate Keith's faithful readership, but if he expects me to have a thick skin, I hope he has one, too.

Keith's take:There you go again, just gulping the old AM Kool Aid, and taking in every word and quoting him like he was St. Peter.

Just STOP IT! This garbage about the fairly thin free agent crop is a myth fabricated by AM and perpetuated by only those who consume the orange kool aid by the gallon. Look at the list below and tell me, based on what the Orioles currently have on their roster and in their system you couldn't find more than 10 players from this list who would help the O's win more games!

Enough with making excuses for the Warehouse, they have had 13 years to turn this around and it starts with spending some real money, $120M in annual salary would be a starting point to compete in the AL East!

Give Buck a fair shot at winning and the Oriole fans what they deserve a real major league baseball team!

First Basemen
Adam Dunn WAS
Lance Berkman NYY *
Paul Konerko CWS
Derrek Lee ATL
Lyle Overbay TOR
Carlos Pena TB
Albert Pujols STL *

Second Basemen

Willie Bloomquist CIN
Mark Ellis OAK *
Akinori Iwamura PIT
Jose Lopez SEA *
Kaz Matsui COL

Shortstops

Alex Gonzalez ATL
Cristian Guzman TEX
J.J. Hardy MIN
Omar Infante ATL *
Cesar Izturis BAL
Derek Jeter NYY
Jhonny Peralta DET *
Jose Reyes NYM *
Jimmy Rollins PHI *
Ramon Vazquez HOU

Third Basemen

Adrian Beltre BOS *
Jorge Cantu TEX
Pedro Feliz STL
Brandon Inge DET
Maicer Izturis LA
Nick Punto MIN *
Ty Wigginton BAL

Outfielders

Carl Crawford TB
Coco Crisp OAK *
Michael Cuddyer MIN *
Jody Gerut SD
Jason Kubel MIN *
Magglio Ordonez DET *
Marcus Thames NYY
Jayson Werth PHI

Starting Pitchers

Bronson Arroyo CIN *
Jeremy Bonderman DET
Kevin Correia SD
Jorge De La Rosa COL
Justin Duchscherer OAK
Freddy Garcia CWS
Jon Garland SD *
Aaron Harang CIN *
Hiroki Kuroda LAD
Cliff Lee TEX
Ted Lilly LAD
Noah Lowry SF
Brian Moehler HOU
Carl Pavano MIN
Javier Vazquez NYY
Brandon Webb ARI
Jake Westbrook STL
Chris Young SD *

The Truth will set you Free!

Pete's reply: Jeez, Keith, cool your Jets. I was talking about the first base/third base situation. I'm sure there are plenty of players out there who are "better" than their Orioles counterparts, if that's all you care about. Hey, let's go out and sign Jorge Cantu for three years and Lance Berkman for four years and marginal offensive shortstop and run that payroll up to $120 million.

If that's the truth, it will certainly set you free -- of the notion that the Orioles will ever compete in the AL East. If you want to win 78 games every year, you're right on the money. I'm not the guy saying it's a soft free agent market. Go read the national guys who couldn't give a rat about the Orioles. BTW, those asterisks next to a lot of the really good players are almost all club options that will be picked up. If Pujols is out there, the Orioles ought to offer him $250 million bucks. I'm right there with you. If all you can sign is Jorge Cantu, I'll grudgingly wait. If you've been reading me, you know I've been clamoring for big offensive improvement THIS WINTER, even though it is a soft market, so stop with your ranting about me parrotting the company line.

Apparently, you can't handle the truth.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Today's featured comment
        

Maybe the Ravens didn't light up the Cleveland Browns the way they were expected to, but you can make the case that the outcome was encouraging because it was such a departure from the previous norm.

The Ravens defense had not allowed a touchdown in two games against two more respected offensive teams, but allowed a pair of them to the Browns and allowed unheralded Peyton Hillis (22 carries, 144 yards) to run wild against them. The offense rebounded from a disturbing first possession to move the ball effectively, and Joe Flacco hooked up with Anquon Boldin three times for touchdowns.

"It (the defense) was pretty streaky,'' said linebacker Jaret Johnson, "and it was pretty disappointing to allow a team to come out and pound the ball like that. All in all, we played well in the fourth quarter and we got them stopped when we had to."

Haloti Ngata admitted that he was disappointed in the defensive effort, even though the final result was better than last week, when the Ravens did not allow a touchdown to the Cincinnati Bengals and still lost.

"When you go two weeks in a row without letting two good offenses score -- not that we weren't playing another good offense -- we just felt like we're better than that,'' he said.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Just football
        

Anquon Boldin's touchdown catch was the 600th reception of his career, and he's the fastest receiver to get to 600 in the history of the NFL. This is his 98th NFL game. The fastest guy to get to that point was Marvin Harrison, who did it in his 102nd game.

More importantly, the catch capped an 85-yard drive during which Joe Flacco looked like he was back in rhythm. The offense went three and out on the Ravens' first possession and Flacco threw an ill-advised sideline pass that was nearly intercepted and likely would have gone for a Browns touchdown if T.J. Ward hadn't let it slip through his fingers.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Just football, Just football
        

There's even some intrigue in the inactive list. Rookie DT Terrence Cody, who garnered praise all week for his work in practice, again is on the list, even though he was not listed on any of the injury reports leading up to the game. All indications were that he would play, and this would seem like the perfect game to tune him up before the Ravens go against the Pittsburgh running attack next week.

No other big surprises. Here's the Ravens list:

WR Donte Stallworth
CB Prince Miller
LBTavares Gooden
DT Arthur Jones
DT Terrence Cody
T Jared Gaither
DT Lamar Divens
DE Paul Kruger

The Browns are decimated. They'll be without veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme and nose tackle Shaun Rogers.

Here are the rest of their inactives:

WR Carlton Mitchell
RB Jerome Harrison
LB Marcus Benard
OL Steve Vallos
OL Brian Robiske

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Just football
        

I'll be at M&T Bank Stadium today to watch the Ravens beat up on the hapless Cleveland Browns, so I'll be popping in with periodic games updates and analysis throughout the afternoon.

I know you can't wait, but you can kill a few minutes by checking out my column today on the Orioles offseason search for a big-time run producer. It's in the print edition, of course, but since you're already booted up, check it out right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Shameless plug
        

Reports are surfacing that Major League Baseball president and chief operating officer Bob DuPuy is on his way out, which presumably would open up the No. 2 spot in the MLB hierarchy for the person who eventually will replace commissioner Bud Selig.

Nobody is saying anything, but the timing of the leak from an unnamed baseball official seems suspiciously coincidental with the announcement on Thursday that Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten is stepping down at the end of the season. Kasten (left) is a longtime MLB insider who has played a major role in the economic development of the sport over the past three decades.

Both Kasten and Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail have been mentioned in speculation about an eventual replacement for Selig, but neither has directly addressed that possibility.

Kasten's explanation for leaving the Nationals -- but not retiring -- is easy to interpret as a signal that he might be headed to New York.

"I know the stories and speculation," Kasten told reporters on Thursday. "Let me assure you, this is just about me. This has nothing to do with anybody else or anything else. This is just about me, what's good for me, for my family and my own personal expectations, goals, aspirations - purely that and nothing else."

File photo: Getty images

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Just baseball
        

My latest "News item" column is in today's print edition, but you can read it on the Web site right here. When you're done, tune into WBAL (1090 AM) or WBAL.com for Sportsline. Today's show starts an hour earlier at 11.

We'll preview tomorrow's game between the Ravens and Cleveland Browns and continue our discussion about what the Orioles need to do in the winter to maintain the momentum that has developed over the past seven weeks. I'll also have a column up later today that takes a look at the offseason possibilities.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Schmuck being Schmuck
        

Don't know about you, but I'm pretty much stumped when it comes to Chris Tillman and his potential to be a solid major league starting pitcher. He went out last night and pitched six relatively efficient innings, giving up just four hits and a walk, but surrendered three homers and a total of five runs, which actually raised his plus-six ERA.

Tillman spoke with Jim Hunter on the MASN postgame show and seemed satisfied that he stayed around the plate and made some good pitches in certain situations. I'm not going to jump all over him for the first home run pitch to Jose Bautista, because it was well under the strike zone, but that's where Bautista likes the ball and he lined it into the left field bleachers.

The reason this is fodder for discussion, at least in my mind, is because Tillman is one of those players who might end up in a package for a big bat during the winter, if Andy MacPhail decides to expand the possibilities presented by a fairly thin free agent crop.

I don't have a good feel for where Tillman's value is right now. If you recall, two springs ago he was ranked 22nd in Baseball America's 2009 Top-100 Major League Prospects -- ahead of both Brian Matusz (25th) and Jake Arrieta (67). There's no doubt that he is no longer on the same level as those two, but I'm guessing he's still pretty high on some boards around the major leagues. Might be time for MacPhail to find out.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Though it's only small consolation for a string of 13 losing seasons, it's refreshing to hear Buck Showalter talk about the importance of maintaining "competitive integrity" when the Orioles play their upcoming series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Showalter is finessing his rotation so that he can put the Orioles best arms forward against the Rays, who are battling for the American League East title. When was the last time the Orioles were in a position to do anything like that?

If you want to read more on that subject -- and enjoy a quick retrospective on the 2007 draft -- check out today's Orioles Notebook by Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec in the print edition or right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If you haven't already, check out my latest column on the Ravens right here. I offer a slightly more angst-ridden reaction to the loss in Cincinnati and point out why I think some concern -- though not panic -- is warranted even at this very early stage in the season.

Let me know what you think.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Just football
        

Let's be careful of our wording. Ravens coach John Harbaugh was fined $15,000 by the NFL for making contact with an official while he was arguing one of the ridiculous calls that helped undermine his team on Sunday. He did not "hit" the guy in the sense of trying to inflict pain. He was just overly demonstrative in his argument reached out and tapped Ron Marinucci on the chest.

That said, the fine was appropriate. Harbaugh knows you can't do that and he already has made it clear that he crossed the line.

Even though it wasn't a malicious act, I'd like to point out that the hit Harbaugh put on Marinucci was still far more egregious than the personal foul called on Terrell Suggs at that pivotal moment in Sunday's game. That was a legit sack and wasn't close to being a personal foul.

Shameless plug: The Ravens said Harbaugh will address the situation with the media tomorrow, but just in case, you might want to tune in to "The John Harbaugh Show" tonight at six on WBAL (1090 AM) and WBAL.com. I'll be joining Brett Hollander for "Sportsline" at seven.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Just football
        

No, I wasn't serious when I asked how many people would like the Orioles to throw their final 12 games to assure themselves of the No. 1 draft choice next year. That probably wouldn't work anyway, with the Pirates 8 1/2 games behind.

I agree with most of the commenters here that a strong finish is the best medicine this organization could get going into the offseason. I hope it puts a happier face on the organization going into the free agent market, in case there's a quality hitter available who needs to be convinced that the team is serious about turning itself around.

We'll start the free agent talk soon enough, but I'm guessing everybody will be in front of their TVs tonight to see if the Orioles can lock up another series against an AL East rival. I know I will, unless there's a Tuesday night college football game featuring Boise St.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The final standings won't cause anybody to hold a parade on Pratt Street, but the Orioles have come back strong enough to make everybody forget that they once on pace to challenge the 1962 Mets for the worst 162-game record in history.

Their final record is still going to be ugly, but they almost certainly will avoid a 100-loss season and -- if they continue to play resourceful baseball -- they could end up blowing next year's top-five draft pick.

Seems like yesterday that the No. 1 pick seemed like a foregone conclusion, but the scouting types tell me that the talent at the top of next year's draft is balanced enough that anyone picking in the top seven or eight is going to get a pretty good player. I don't know if I completely buy that.

Let's have a show of hands. How many of you think the O's ought to throw the last 12 games of the season to improve their draft position?

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles are right back in the lion's den in Boston, facing Daisuke Matsuzaka at Fenway Park, but Brian Matusz is matching him pitch for pitch through four innings. They have almost identical pitching lines so far.

It's going to be another big channel surfing night, since I'm a big Monday Night Football fan and the New Orleans Saints are one of the most fun teams to watch in the NFL, but I'll chime in a little later after things shake out.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Today's comeback victory over the Yankees probably doesn't mean a whole lot in the greater scheme of things, but it was a great way to end the series after Friday night's heart-breaking loss and Saturday's blowout.

Mariano Rivera doesn't give it up very often, so Orioles fans have every right to savor Luke Scott's game-tying home run and his leadoff double in the 11th that set up Ty Wigginton's walkoff gapper.

The Orioles may be a world away from the Yankees from a competitive standpoint -- as I said in my column today -- but if you break down the two series between the two teams under Buck Showalter, the O's come away looking pretty good. They have split the six games, two of their three losses were in games they were leading until Nick Swisher and Alex Rodriguez hit last-gasp home runs.

Those still count as losses, but there's no question the Orioles went toe-to-toe in every game except Saturday nights.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Am I the only one who has noticed how many close pitches Derek Jeter not gotten over the course of this series? I'm starting to wonder if he lost the benefit of the doubt with his acting job on that mis-called hit-by-pitch in Wednesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

It was so obvious on video replay that the ball didn't come close to Jeter that it turned into another embarrassing moment for the umpires, who have been under fire for a series of highly publicized gaffes this season.

Is it possible that, even when we're talking about the Yankees, that what goes around comes around.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Andy MacPhail is in the broadcast booth talking to Jim Palmer and Gary Thorne about how the Orioles will approach the offseason. MacPhail cautioned against assuming that this team will play .600 ball next year and said that he will concentrate on upgrading the offense this winter, but conceded that the free agent market could be thin.

"It's not a great year, but there are players out there,'' MacPhail said.

He didn't come right out and say it, but he clearly gave the same impression Buck Showalter gave me on Friday. The Orioles know they aren't one or two players away from contending in the American League East, but they obviously know that they cannot stand pat and wait around to grow into contention.

MacPhail also raised my eyebrows when he told the broadcasters that the Orioles will still be looking for free agent players who have a chance to improve their performance next year. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I hope that doesn't mean another Garrett Atkins-type gamble.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
Categories: Just baseball
        

I'm starting to wonder why the Ravens are giving the Bengals defense so much credit. They've driven into Cincinnati territory twice and partied like it's 1999 when they got into a third and short situation.

I've got to say, when its third and two or three inside the Bengals' 40, what's wrong with trying to pound the ball a couple of times. That third down pass attempt to Willis McGahee into double coverage was a very low-percentage play. I guess I'm more confident in Willis than anybody else, because I think he can get you three yards on two carries.

This isn't the Jets offense. If you keep giving the Bengals the ball, they'll keep moving it and kicking field goals, which may be enough if you don't ramp this Ravens offense up a little bit. Joe Flacco just doesn't look very sharp.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Just football
        

I'm taking some heat for picking the Bengals today, and I understand that it might seem odd to the home crowd, so I'll explain this again like I do every year. My prediction is what my head is telling me is going to happen, not my heart, and I'm not alone. Five of the seven Sun prognosticators think the Ravens are going to come up a little bit short at Paul Brown Stadium.

When we do the staff predictions at The Sun, we're supposed to be as objective as we can. It's not a matter of supporting the home team. I hope the Ravens prove me wrong. I'll be pulling for them to do that. I just think the short week and the Bengals' vertical passing game will be a little too much for the Ravens today. I hope we can still be friends.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Just football
        

If you haven't already, take a look at my latest column on the Orioles, in which I try to put the club's recent surge into it's proper perspective. I'll warn you. It probably comes off as negative -- or at least fatalistic about the near-term outlook for the club -- but sometimes you have to step off the bandwagon and look under the hood.

Check it out right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Just baseball
        

I'll be up on the Web site with my latest Orioles column later today, but it's time for you to get involved in the conversation. Join me on Sportsline at noon on WBAL (!090 AM) and WBAL.com.

It's another big weekend in Baltimore sports. The Orioles face CC Sabathia tonight at Camden Yards and the Ravens head to Cincinnati this afternoon for tomorrow's showdown with the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. We'll talk both baseball and football as well as the issues of the day.

Derek Jeter thinks the controversy over his fake hit-by-pitch is much ado about nothing. What do you think.

The Jets have been reprimanded by the NFL for acting unprofessionally toward TV Azteca reporter Inez Sainz. Talk about a hot topic.

Three hours of non-stop sports talk. Should be fun.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Shameless plug
        

Alex Rodriguez launched his second home run of the night to send the Orioles to a heartbreaking defeat, and I couldn't help thinking of the famous Hindenburg exclamation as the heavily pinstriped crowd went wild in the stands.

Oh, the humanity!

It was a really exciting game, but it also was something of a cliche. The Orioles battle them deep into the game. The Yankees get a key call to stay alive for one more pitch or one more hitter. Somebody delivers a dramatic hit or home run. How many times have we seen this movie?

The thing that was really galling, of course, was the percentage of Yankees fans in the stands at Camden Yards -- outshouting the home crowd -- but manager Buck Showalter didn't seem too concerned.

"The more we improve,'' he said, "the tougher a ticket it will be to get. We can't control that. We play good baseball, we'll have more people. I'm proud of the people in black and orange who were out cheering as hard, if not harder."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Just baseball
        

For those Orioles fans who are convinced there is a Camden Yards conspiracy to make Yankees fans more comfortable, this is right up your alley. When Alex Rodriguez hit a towering home run off Kevin Millwood in the second inning tonight, somebody accidentally (?) shot off a firework to punctuate the moment.

There is a postgame fireworks display scheduled for tonight, but the home run pyrotechnic displays are supposed to be for the home team. Someone obviously got confused and pushed the plunger for the first ball to exit the field.

Or there really is a conspiracy to turn this into Yankee Stadium South. Nothing would surprise me during this strange season.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Just baseball
        

My latest "My take" column is up on the Web site, if you don't want to wait for tomorrow's print edition. I weigh in on the Derek Jeter "cheating" controversy, Chad Ochocinco on his best behavior, Reggie Bush's grand gesture and a number of other subjects. Check it out right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Shameless plug
        

If you haven't already checked out my column about Ed Dickson's interesting Monday night, you can do it right now, right here. When you're through with that, tune in tonight at six for Sportsline on WBAL (1090 AM) and WBAL.com, when I join Brett Hollander and Qadry Ismael for a radio roundtable on the sports issues of the day.

We'll kick off the show with a discussion of the controversy surrounding Derek Jeter, whose fake hit-by-pitch nearly helped the Yankees win a big game against the Tampa Bay Rays, and also preview the upcoming game between the Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals and the weekend series between the Orioles and Yankees at Oriole Park. Check us out.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Shameless plug
        

Ravens coach John Harbaugh is not about excuses, as he has shown throughout his two-plus years in Baltimore, and he isn't letting his players use the short practice week as an emotional crutch going into this Sunday's game at Cincinnati.

"It does throw you off a little bit,'' he said. "Sleepwise, we haven't had a lot of that. but we knew that. It wasn't like it caught us by surprise, and all of the sudden they moved the game up a day. We knew we had a 5 1/2-day window. We had a lot of time going into it. We know the Bengals, we've been preparing for them all along. We had to add one more (piece of) information that we had in the game into this preparation and then just tie everything together as quick as we could A lot of that work had already been done."

Harbaugh did say that he was surprised to see the Bengals manhandled the way they were by the Patriots for a big chunk of Sunday's game in Foxboro.

"Very surprised -- obviously impressed with the Patriots,'' he said. But the Bengals will get back to being the Bengals. They'll get back to what they did last year. THey're the defending division champions. They earned it last year. They swept the division. They handed it to us twice in convincing fashion and that's the team we expect to see on Sunday."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Just football
        

Jake Arrieta threw six shutout innings last night, giving up just four hits and a walk. He has given up three earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts, but manager Buck Showalter hinted after the game that Arrieta is getting close to the point where the club will shut him down for his own protection.

It's very possible that he just made his final start, though Arrieta said after the game that he wants to take the rest of his turns in the rotation.

I'm sure it won't be a popular decision with the fans, who are enjoying this glimpse into the future of the rotation, but Showalter has seen as much as he needs to see of Arrieta, and the organization can be forgiven for not wanting to take any chances with any of its most promising pitchers.

Showalter seemed to indicate that Brian Matusz would resume his regular pitching schedule if he shakes off that triceps bruise quickly, but the organization also figures to be very cautious with him over the final three weeks of the season.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)
Categories: Just baseball
        

This just in from Orioles PR guru Jeff Lantz;

With tonight's easy 11-3 victory over the Blue Jays, the Orioles have won four consecutive series for the first time since August 3-15, 2004. During that span, they swept the Mariners in a three-game series, swept the Rangers in a four-game set, and went on the road to take two of three from the Angels and Blue Jays.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles just released their 2011 regular season schedule, which begins with a three-game series against the Rays on the road -- just like this year. The opener will be on Friday, April 1, and the home opener will be on Monday, April 4 against the Detroit Tigers. The opening homestand also will include a visit from the Texas Rangers before the O's make their first trip to Yankee Stadium.

Along with the usual home-and-home interleague series against the Nationals, the Orioles will play the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals at Camden Yards during the interleague period and travel to Pittsburgh and Atlanta.

The regular season will end with the O's playing six of their last 10 games against the Red Sox. Let's hope they matter.

If you want to check out the entire 2011 schedule, read on:

April

Friday 1 at Tampa Bay Rays
Saturday 2 at Tampa Bay Rays
Sunday 3 at Tampa Bay Rays
Monday 4 Detroit Tigers
Tuesday 5 open
Wednesday 6 Detroit Tigers
Thursday 7 Detroit Tigers
Friday 8 Texas Rangers
Saturday 9 Texas Rangers
Sunday 10 Texas Rangers
Monday 11 open
Tuesday 12 at New York Yankees
Wednesday 13 at New York Yankees
Thursday 14 at New York Yankees
Friday 15 at Cleveland Indians
Saturday 16 at Cleveland Indians
Sunday 17 at Cleveland Indians
Monday 18 Minnesota Twins
Tuesday 19 Minnesota Twins
Wednesday 20 Minnesota Twins
Thursday 21 Minnesota Twins
Friday 22 New York Yankees
Saturday 23 New York Yankees
Sunday 24 New York Yankees
Monday 25 open
Tuesday 26 Boston Red Sox
Wednesday 27 Boston Red Sox
Thursday 28 Boston Red Sox
Friday 29 at Chicago White Sox
Saturday 30 at Chicago White Sox

May

Sunday 1 at Chicago White Sox
Monday 2 at Chicago White Sox
Tuesday 3 at Kansas City Royals
Wednesday 4 at Kansas City Royals
Thursday 5 at Kansas City Royals
Friday 6 Tampa Bay Rays
Saturday 7 Tampa Bay Rays
Sunday 8 Tampa Bay Rays
Monday 9 open
Tuesday 10 Seattle Mariners
Wednesday 11 Seattle Mariners
Thursday 12 Seattle Mariners
Friday 13 at Tampa Bay Rays
Saturday 14 at Tampa Bay Rays
Sunday 15 at Tampa Bay Rays
Monday 16 at Boston Red Sox
Tuesday 17 at Boston Red Sox
Wednesday 18 New York Yankees
Thursday 19 New York Yankees
Friday 20 Washington Nationals
Saturday 21 Washington Nationals
Sunday 22 Washington Nationals
Monday 23 open
Tuesday 24 Kansas City Royals
Wednesday 25 Kansas City Royals
Thursday 26 Kansas City Royals
Friday 27 at Oakland Athletics
Saturday 28 at Oakland Athletics
Sunday 29 at Oakland Athletics
Monday 30 at Seattle Mariners
Tuesday 31 at Seattle Mariners

June

Wednesday 1 at Seattle Mariners
Thursday 2 open
Friday 3 Toronto Blue Jays
Saturday 4 Toronto Blue Jays
Sunday 5 Toronto Blue Jays
Monday 6 Oakland Athletics
Tuesday 7 Oakland Athletics
Wednesday 8 Oakland Athletics
Thursday 9 open
Friday 10 Tampa Bay Rays
Saturday 11 Tampa Bay Rays
Sunday 12 Tampa Bay Rays
Monday 13 open
Tuesday 14 at Toronto Blue Jays
Wednesday 15 at Toronto Blue Jays
Thursday 16 at Toronto Blue Jays
Friday 17 at Washington Nationals
Saturday 18 at Washington Nationals
Sunday 19 at Washington Nationals
Monday 20 at Pittsburgh Pirates
Tuesday 21 at Pittsburgh Pirates
Wednesday 22 at Pittsburgh Pirates
Thursday 23 open
Friday 24 Cincinnati Reds
Saturday 25 Cincinnati Reds
Sunday 26 Cincinnati Reds
Monday 27 open
Tuesday 28 St. Louis Cardinals
Wednesday 29 St. Louis Cardinals
Thursday 30 St. Louis Cardinals

July

Friday 1 at Atlanta Braves
Saturday 2 at Atlanta Braves
Sunday 3 at Atlanta Braves
Monday 4 at Texas Rangers
Tuesday 5 at Texas Rangers
Wednesday 6 at Texas Rangers
Thursday 7 at Boston Red Sox
Friday 8 at Boston Red Sox
Saturday 9 at Boston Red Sox
Sunday 10 at Boston Red Sox
Monday 11 ALL
Tuesday 12 STAR
Wednesday 13 BREAK
Thursday 14 Cleveland Indians
Friday 15 Cleveland Indians
Saturday 16 Cleveland Indians
Sunday 17 Cleveland Indians
Monday 18 Boston Red Sox
Tuesday 19 Boston Red Sox
Wednesday 20 Boston Red Sox
Thursday 21 open
Friday 22 Los Angeles Angels
Saturday 23 Los Angeles Angels
Sunday 24 Los Angeles Angels
Monday 25 open
Tuesday 26 at Toronto Blue Jays
Wednesday 27 at Toronto Blue Jays
Thursday 28 at Toronto Blue Jays
Friday 29 at New York Yankees
Saturday 30 at New York Yankees
Sunday 31 at New York Yankees

August

Monday 1 open
Tuesday 2 at Kansas City Royals
Wednesday 3 at Kansas City Royals
Thursday 4 at Kansas City Royals
Friday 5 Toronto Blue Jays
Saturday 6 Toronto Blue Jays
Sunday 7 Toronto Blue Jays
Monday 8 Chicago White Sox
Tuesday 9 Chicago White Sox
Wednesday 10 Chicago White Sox
Thursday 11 Chicago White Sox
Friday 12 Detroit Tigers
Saturday 13 Detroit Tigers
Sunday 14 Detroit Tigers
Monday 15 at Oakland Athletics
Tuesday 16 at Oakland Athletics
Wednesday 17 at Oakland Athletics
Thursday 18 open
Friday 19 at Los Angeles Angels
Saturday 20 at Los Angeles Angels
Sunday 21 at Los Angeles Angels
Monday 22 at Minnesota Twins
Tuesday 23 at Minnesota Twins
Wednesday 24 at Minnesota Twins
Thursday 25 at Minnesota Twins
Friday 26 New York Yankees
Saturday 27 New York Yankees
Sunday 28 New York Yankees
Monday 29 New York Yankees
Tuesday 30 Toronto Blue Jays
Wednesday 31 Toronto Blue Jays

September

Thursday 1 Toronto Blue Jays
Friday 2 at Tampa Bay Rays
Saturday 3 at Tampa Bay Rays
Sunday 4 at Tampa Bay Rays
Monday 5 at New York Yankees
Tuesday 6 at New York Yankees
Wednesday 7 at New York Yankees
Thursday 8 open
Friday 9 at Toronto Blue Jays
Saturday 10 at Toronto Blue Jays
Sunday 11 at Toronto Blue Jays
Monday 12 Tampa Bay Rays
Tuesday 13 Tampa Bay Rays
Wednesday 14 Tampa Bay Rays
Thursday 15 open
Friday 16 Los Angeles Angels
Saturday 17 Los Angeles Angels
Sunday 18 Los Angeles Angels
Monday 19 at Boston Red Sox
Tuesday 20 at Boston Red Sox
Wednesday 21 at Boston Red Sox
Thursday 22 at Detroit Tigers
Friday 23 at Detroit Tigers
Saturday 24 at Detroit Tigers
Sunday 25 at Detroit Tigers
Monday 26 Boston Red Sox
Tuesday 27 Boston Red Sox
Wednesday 28 Boston Red Sox

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Just baseball
        

No matter what the Orioles' final record turns out to be -- and I won't be joining in the celebration when they avoid 100 losses -- it was great to have reason to try and monitor both the Ravens and Orioles last night. When was the last time anything at Oriole Park mattered after the start of the NFL season?

Of course, it would be nice if the Orioles didn't make you sweat out a close, low-scoring game almost every night, but that type of tense competition can only be good for the young players going forward.

Don't be surprised if you don't see a lot of Brian Matusz the rest of the month. If I know him, he'll want to get back out there and pitch every inning he can, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Orioles go into safe mode -- especially in the wake of what happened to Stephen Strasburg. Obviously, this isn't an elbow or shoulder situation, so there's no reason for any long-term concern, but there's also no compelling reason to send Matusz out there if he isn't absolutely 100 percent.

We'll probably know more later today.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The upcoming matchup against the Bengals in Cincinnati is tough to figure. I believe the Ravens are the superior team, but it's very tough to go on the road again after a Monday night road game.

Watched both the Ravens and Bengals openers very closely and think the game is too close to call. The Bengals have a quality quarterback and two of the best receivers in the history of the sport, and they are smarting after the way the Patriots manhandled them in the first half of Sunday's game.

The Ravens defense looked outstanding against the Jets, but will it be able to muster the same energy and intensity after losing a day and a half of prep and recover time? I'm a little worried,

Rosy scenario: The Ravens will come alive against a Bengals defense that was carved up by Tom Brady and the Pats; the Bengals running game will be a no-show like Week 1; and Terrell Owens will get into a fist fight with the offensive coordinator just before kickoff. Don't laugh, it took T.O. less than a game to get into it on the sidelines with head coach Marvin Lewis.

Not-so-rosy scenario: Carson Palmer will be sharper in Week 2 after needing a half to get the offense started against New England. If the weary Ravens can't put pressure on him, he'll connect with T.O. and Chad Ochocinco on the intermediate routs all day long and it will be tough for the Ravens offense to keep up.

Still, wouldn't it be fun if the Ravens were able to spoil two home openers in six days?

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Just football
        

I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more. My new favorite team -- the Boise State Broncos -- continue to be the victim of a nationwide conspiracy to underplay their accomplishments. It's right there in black and white in this week's media poll, under the headline in our print edition that reads "Gap between top 2, Boise St. widens."

Why am I mad? It's not because I necessarily think that Boise State would beat Alabama or Ohio State on a neutral field -- or a neutral-colored field for that matter. It's because there is such a glaring double standard when it comes to evaluating the teams that aren't traditional BCS powerhouses.

Boise State traveled to the East Coast to play Virginia Tech in Week One, but got relatively little love from the media and coaches voting in the two college football polls, I guess because Alabama scored such an impressive win over San Jose State and Ohio State had its way with Marshall.

So what happens this week? Boise has a bye and the top two teams play well against representative opponents and the Broncos lose seven of their eight first-place votes. They'll probably drop out of the Top 10 entirely when Alabama gets done with Duke and Ohio State emerges the victor in that scintillating in-state rivalry game against Ohio this week.

While the Buckeyes open with three creampuffs at home during the first four weeks of the season, Boise opened with a very legit victory over a Virginia Tech team that was ranked 10th in the nation going into the game at Fedex Field. That victory has been devalued by voters, however, because VTech suffered a stunning upset this past weekend against James Madison, which was supposed to be one of the Hokies' creampuff opponents.

Here's my gripe. If the voters want to act like Virginia Tech, in retrospect, wasn't really the 10th-best team in the nation, well, who's fault was that? Who put the Hokies in that position? The fact is that Boise State accepted a coast-to-coast road game against a traditional East Coast powerhouse team and pulled out a hard-fought victory. If you want to know how hard it is to do that, ask a very highly-rated Cal team how it felt to get upset by Maryland a couple of years ago at Byrd Stadium.

The rap on Boise St. is always the same. Soft conference. Nobody on the schedule. Never mind that no big-conference school in its right mind would sign a home-and-home contract to play every other year on the field of blue.

The voters look at the schedule and see that Boise's second game is against Wyoming and the best team remaining on the schedule is Fresno State, which took Cincinnati for an ugly ride a couple of weeks ago. Fair enough, but I don't think the first nine games of the Ohio State schedule is anything to write home about, either.

This doesn't mean a thing, but here's a trivia question for you: Which team is scheduled to play the most Top 10 teams during the upcoming regular season -- Alabama, Ohio State or Wyoming?

Like I said, this doesn't mean anything in the greater scheme of things, but it's still an interesting bit of information. Wyoming scheduled three Top 10 teams this year, which is more than both Alabama and Ohio State combined (2). They both have one on their schedule, just like Boise State.

I really don't know whether Boise State can compete with the Crimson Tide or the Buckeyes, but if the Broncos run the table and end up watching the BCS title game from home while a one-loss team plays for all the marbles, it will be more proof that the fix was in right from the start.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Just football
        

The Orioles stand at the threshold of a three-game sweep in Detroit, but it's going to be another tall order. Chris Tillman is scheduled to take the mound against 15-game winner Justin Verlander. And still, the way things have been going, you know you're starting to believe that just about anything can happen.

By the way, I just got called on the carpet in the comments section for spending too much time defending Kevin Millwood and not Jeremy Guthrie, which is probably a fair criticism though I won't apologize for it. Guthrie doesn't need defending. He's been pitching very well and seems to have come into his own. Millwood has had a horrible season, but there are some mitigating circumstances that deserve to be mentioned on occasion.

Another commenter pulled up one of my columns from early May quoting Andy MacPhail saying that he still felt the Orioles could rebound from their 2-16 start and have a better record than last year. That's obviously possible now, but it's no sure thing and it's no great accomplishment. I think it's better to view the Buck Showalter era in it's own context and not spend too much time wallowing in the first half. What's the point?

Has Andy been vindicated? Not yet. Depending on where you're coming from, you can look at the rebound under Showalter as proof that MacPhail knew what he was doing all along or proof that he is too deliberate and should have turned the club over to a proven manager much earlier.

I think the reality is somewhere in between. MacPhail made some good decisions (the trades for Pie, Jones, Tillman, Scott etc) and he made some bad ones (Garrett Atkins, Rich Hill). He also made some that are still up for grabs (trading George Sherrill for Josh Bell, signing Koji Uehara). I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things play out over the next year.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (62)
Categories: Just baseball, Just baseball
        

If you haven't already, take a look at my column in today's print edition on New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, or check it out on the Web site right here. I'd like to know what you think about his antics on Hard Knocks and the war of words he has been carrying on with the Ravens for the past week.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Shameless plug
        

Kevin Millwood pitched pretty well again tonight and got the usual results. He probably would have gotten the win if Matt Wieters catches that popup ahead of Miguel Cabrera's home run, but that's just not the way this year has gone from him.

I just read some posts about how bad Kevin Millwood has been this year, so I thought I would come to his defense for the umpteenth time. No, I'm not going to say he has been very good this year because he obviously hasn't, but treating him like he is one of the major reasons for the Orioles poor performance for most of this season is just not fair.

Millwood, you might recall, gave up three runs or fewer in eight of his first 10 starts and won -- drum roll please -- none of them. Now, he's pitching okay again -- three earned runs or fewer in five of his last seven -- and has just one victory to show for it. The 5.30 ERA doesn't lie. He has also had quite a number of bad performances, particularly in the middle of the season, but he has 12 solid starts this year in which he has a loss or a no-decision.

Does that change anything when you're 3-15. Not really, but a little offensive support early in the season might have his season look a lot more respectable.

Everyone likes Millwood. He's a great guy and has tried to do everything the Orioles brought him here to do. I don't see him back here next year, but I'm going to wish him well and pay him the proper respect for what he has done in his career and his effort (if not the results) this season.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (43)
Categories: Just baseball
        

My latest "News item" column just went up on the Web site. If you haven't already, take a look at it right here and let me know what you think.

While I'm plugging stuff, Jeff Zrebiec's story about the relationship between Felix Pie and Luke Scott is a must-read. You can find it right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (29)
Categories: News of the day
        

I was just leafing through the Sun's NFL Preview Section and one of the so-called experts picked San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner to be NFL Coach of the Year in the staff predictions section, which has me channeling tennis great John McEnroe:

Are you kidding me?

Norv Turner?

The same guy has the San Diego Chargers winning the Super Bowl this year, beating the Colts in the AFC Championship Game and the Packers for the Lombardi Trophy.

Are you serious?

Who is this baffoon and why doesn't he know that Norv Turner teams always choke in the playoffs?

I don't want to single the guy out, but maybe he figures that Norv has the smoothest road to the postseason. The Chargers are a pretty much a lock to win that division and probably will get a bye into the second round. There's some logic there, but the guy obviously is smoking something pretty good.

Shameless plug: Pick up the NFL Preview, if only to read my "Get Real" column about the Ravens and a great cover package by Ken Murray, You can read me right here or you can click on Ken's look at the most dynamic offensive moves of the offseason here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Just football
        

Like you, I had a bad feeling when Koji Uehara fell behind 2-0 on the count to Nick Swisher, but what are you going to do? The pitch that gave the Yankees the dramatic walkoff victory wasn't a exactly a mortal sin. The pitch was a fastball tailing toward the outside corner and Swisher just did a great job to get all of it and drive it to the opposite field.

That used to be a tough place to hit a home at the old Yankee Stadium, but the wind currents obviously are better at the new one. Wieters also launched an opposite field shot to give the O's the one-run lead that got away.

Even though the Orioles still won the series and beat both AJ Burnett and CC Sabathia, losing the finale still has to smart. The sweep would have been another feather in the crowded cap of Buck Showalter, but nobody can complain about going 4-2 against the two teams fighting for the AL East championship.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (74)
Categories: Just baseball
        

I don't know if Matt Wieters will ever be the second coming of Joe Mauer, but his two-run homer in the fifth inning today was more proof that he has elite power. It's just a question of whether he'll ever harness it.

The ball he hit to the opposite field off Ivan Nova cleared the first section of seats in the left field bleachers, even though it did not appear the Wieters got every bit of it. He's a bit, rangy kid who gets great leverage at the plate and looks pretty effortless doing it.

Again, I'm not anointing him. He's got to square up the ball more consistently to be an elite hitter and he's going to have to take some big strides at the plate while he's also growing into the job behind it.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)
Categories: Just baseball
        

What is it about this team? The Orioles beat A.J. Burnett on Monday afternoon and pulled a reverse lock victory over C.C. Sabathia to end his lengthy winning streak at Yankee Stadium. So you know they are making a relatively unknown rookie look overpowering right now in the series finale.

Young Ivan Nova has given up just two hits through four innings and he has been very efficient -- throwing just 47 pitches (34 of them for strikes) and striking out five with no walks. Brad Bergesen has been very good, too, giving up just a run on three hits and one walk, but he's going to need some help to come out on top today.

Stay tuned.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Just baseball
        

This is starting to get eerie. The Orioles have now won four of five against the Rays and Yankees, playing the division spoiler and gathering some momentum as the season draws to a close. What a perfect time for the young players on this team to shatter the mystique of the American League East, and what better way to do it than to have a rookie pitcher beat C.C. Sabathia at Yankee Stadium.

It's certainly fun to watch and there's no question Buck Showalter has made a huge difference in this team. I just hope Peter Angelos doesn't start thinking that the talent was adequate all along and keep the vault locked during the offseason. It has happened before.

So I'll keep harping on the need for a major offensive upgrade and hoping that this late-season upturn is enough to convince some quality players that they might want to jump on board this winter.

What I'm not going to do is waste a lot of time pondering the new question of the ages -- whether the Orioles could have played this way from the start of the season if Buck had been hired then instead of now.

Obviously, you can make a case for that in hindsight, which is the lifeblood of the internet, but to believe that the Orioles could have played like this all year you have to believe that Showalter would have magically prevented Brian Roberts' offseason back injury and avoided all of the bad fortune that befell the team early on. The funny thing is, some of the people who are making this case were ranting a year ago that all these guys were stiffs.

Sorry, but you can't have it both ways. It wasn't a .500 team on Opening Day and -- quite frankly -- it isn't a .500 team now. It's a team on a roll that needs to improve over the winter to be a .500 team (or better) next year.

For those who persist in saying otherwise, stop and think about this. That kind of logic is just the excuse Angelos needs to convince himself once more that he doesn't need to spend big money to make the Orioles a real contender.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (55)
Categories: Just baseball
        

...it was a pretty good sports day for local fans. The Orioles beat the Yankees in the afternoon -- thanks in part to a terrific performance by the bullpen -- and Maryland's victory over Navy at M&T Bank Stadium hopefully kicks off an annual rivalry between the two highest-profile local football programs.

It wasn't the prettiest football game you ever saw, but any game that comes down to a fourth-down at the 1-yard line and a huge goal line stop is a pretty good game. Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo probably doesn't feel that way right now, but the Midshipmen always do themselves proud.

Let's not get too carried away with the implications of the Maryland victory. Ralph Friedgen needs to build on this game and make the most of a fairly soft early schedule to position the Terps for a bowl run. It's going to be a tall order, but Maryland did display a versatile running attack today. They just need Jamarr Robinson and the passing attack to blossom over the next few weeks.

Hey, it's college football season. Life is beautiful.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
Categories: Just football
        

Well, I called this game right and Bob called it wrong. My life is complete.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Just football
        

If you're rooting for Navy today, you could make the case that the Mids should already be 21 points ahead. They have stalled near the goal line three times -- twice turning the ball over and once letting the clock run out at the end of the half -- but seem poised to take control of this game in the fourth quarter.

The Terps, who moved the ball so easily in their first three possessions, have lost their offensive rhythm and are fortunate to still be in the game at this point. But the momentum has changed hands a couple of times today and it could change hands again.

Interesting game. Not a great game, but an intriguing matchup.

Instant update: Jeez, I barely had time to post that item before Navy came up short on third down and Tony Logan almost ran the ensuing punt back to the Navy 16. That might have been the quick momentum change I was talking about, but the Terps fumbled the ball right back on their first play of the possession.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Just football
        

The Maryland Terrapins offense was having its way with Navy, so much so that the Terps scored twice in the first half on long drives without every putting the ball in the air.

So what happens on the third posession? Maryland quarterback Jamarr Robinson sprinted 27 yards to put the Terps deep in Navy territory, then tried to get the rest all in one chunk with his first pass of the day. Emmett Merchant intercepted near the goal line and ran the ball back to the 31.

Stuff happens, but when you enter the second half averaging more than 10 yards per rush and nothing has happened to make you think you can't keep doing that, you'd think the Terps would have kept grinding until Navy forced them to do otherwise.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Just football
        

It all happened so fast that this is going to sound like 20-20 hindsight, but I was complaining right before kickoff about the decision by Navy to defer their first possession to the start of the second half.

I realize that Ken Niumatalolo routinely chooses to defer wen the Mids win the coin toss, but this particular situation begged for them to take the ball and put Maryland instantly on the defensive. It's a hot and muggy afternoon and Navy is the ultimate ball control team, so why not put the Maryland defense on the field right away and keep it out there as long as possible.

Also, defering puts you in a position to play catchup all day long in a shootout, which this game promises to be. Obviously, it's easy to say after the Terrapins marched right down to score a touchdown on their first possessionl, but if you've read this blog during the Ravens games, you know my philosophy on this already.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Just football
        

The line hasn't changed much on today's game between the Midshipmen of Navy and the underdog Maryland Terrapins. The oddsmakers have had Navy posted as a six-to-seven-point favorite for the past couple of weeks, and the line was hanging tough at 6 1/2 this morning (according to the Bodog internet betting site).

The over/under is 49, which means the Vegas types basically are saying that Navy is going to win this game by a theoretical score of 28-21. If I were a betting man, I would have to take Maryland here, because that's too big of a spread for Navy against an ACC opponent that has had several weeks to prepare for the triple-option offense.

Of course, I'm not a sports bettor, and even if I were I might feel unpatriotic betting against the Mids, but I'm not above making a prediction. I'm still puffed up about making the right call on Billy Cundiff, so I'm going with the underdog again. Maryland wins, 31-24.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Just football
        

The Orioles are headed back to the new Yankee Stadium for the first time since Dave Trembley had to squirm through a three-game series there while everybody was reporting that he would soon be fired.

Of course, he was dismissed when the Orioles returned to Baltimore after that series and Juan Samuel tried to hold down the fort until the club hired Buck Showalter. The return to New York will have a different significance for Showalter, who was instrumental in the resurgence of the Yankees in the early 1990s. He'll be managing a series in the new Yankee Stadium for the first time.

The Orioles played the spoiler by taking two of three from Tampa Bay. They get the opportunity to make things more difficult for the Yankees, who have finally put a little space between themselves and the Rays. If you're lost track, the O's are now 19-13 under Showalter and 2-3 in September against AL East opponents.

Brian Matusz, who was the American League Rookie of the Month for August, will make his first September start tomorrow.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (55)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Maybe I'm beating a dead horse here, but the reason the Orioles are leading the Tampa Bay Rays today is not just because Rays starter Wade Davis has struggled with his command. It's also because the O's have let him struggle.

Their plate discipline was outstanding. They forced Davis to use up half his usual pitch allotment (he's a 100-pitch guy) in the first two innings, which almost certainly will force the Rays to use more bullpen innings than manager Joe Maddon would prefer. I'm all for being aggressive and hitting your pitch, but when a guy is trying to lose, it's a good idea to let him.

This is one of the reasons why I think the offense would have been a lot better in the first half if Brian Roberts had not been sidelined. He makes opposing pitchers work hard right from the outset and he sets a tone for the other hitters in the lineup.

There were exceptions, of course. I wanted to choke Corey Patterson for swinging 3-1 after Davis had walked two straight batters to load the bases in the first. He swung at a ball that was outside the TV strike box and hit a soft fly ball to drive in the Orioles second run. Not a terrible outcome, but if he walked there, it would have brought home the run and left the bases loaded with one out.

All was forgiven, however, when Corey launched a two-run homer in his second at-bat. I've always loved that guy.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Just baseball
        

For once, I guessed right. Billy Cundiff reportedly has held onto his job as the Ravens placekicker, beating out veteran Shayne Graham -- almost certainly because he displayed a much stronger leg on kickoffs.

The most unexpected news of the day was the trade that sent linebacker Antwan Barnes to the Philadelphia Eagles for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick.

Still waiting to hear the fate of quarterback Troy Smith, who may be the odd man out in the roster crunch if Ozzie Newsome and the coaching staff are comfortable going into the season without a third QB. We'll know for sure a little later today.

To keep up with the latest developments today, visit our Ravens Insider blog throughout the afternoon and evening.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Just football
        

The Ravens are in the process of cutting down to their 53-man roster, and you'll be hearing some names filter out throughout the afternoon. One of the biggest moves became public last night when the team revealed that safety Ed Reed will start the season on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. That means he can't return until Week 7.

This is being cast as no great surprise and no great disaster, since backup Tom Zbikowski has played well in the preseason, but we're still talking about Ed Reed and we're talking about him missing what -- at least on paper -- is the toughest stretch of the regular season. The Ravens play four of their first six games on the road against the Jets, Bengals, Steelers and Patriots.

The biggest decision today will be between placekickers Billy Cundiff and Shayne Graham, and it's still considered a tossup. Though a lot of us have been going on the assumption that Graham would get the nod if the competition were close, I'm not so sure about that now. They did not separate from each other as far as their effectiveness kicking field goals, Cundiff showed more leg on kickoffs, which will have a week-to-week impact on the starting field position of the opposition. I think that's pretty important and I think John Harbaugh does, too. My money is on Cundiff.

Radio, radio: Love to hear your opinion on that and any other subject today on Sportsline. Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley will join me to talk about the coming roster cuts and we'll also break down the Orioles, who are still winless in September. Tune in to WBAL (1090AM) or WBAL.com at noon and join the conversation.

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Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

My Saturday "News item" column is now up on the Web site. Of course, you could wait until tomorrow and read it in the print edition, but it you need something to cheer you up during the middle innings of tonight's game, you can read it right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Shameless plug
        

Don't think I'm alone in thinking that the most important moment of last night's preseason game between the Ravens and Rams came after linebacker Danell Ellerbe returned an interception for a touchdown and stopped at the goal line for a little unsportsmanlike conduct.

Surprisingly, he didn't draw a penalty flag for taunting or excessive celebration, but I've got to wonder what was going through his mind when he saw head coach John Harbaugh sprinting down the sidelines at full speed with a look on his face that you don't normally see during a touchdown celebration.

Harbaugh grabbed Ellerbe by the jersey and gave him a very public tongue-lashing for everybody -- the fans, his teammates and a Baltimore TV audience -- to see.

"That was classless,'' Harbaugh said at halftime. "We don't play that way."

Obviously, Ellerbe got the message, but it wasn't just for him. And Ellerbe was, in a sense, the perfect guy to help Harbaugh remind everyone what kind of demeanor he expects a Raven to display on the football field. Ellerbe isn't in danger of getting cut and he's not one of the team's cornerstone stars. I don't doubt Harbaugh would have reprimanded anyone in that situation, but it clearly had more impact because it was a player who still is at a point in his career where he had better pay attention.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Just football
        

The Baltimore Urban Affairs Reporting class of the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism spent six weeks this summer studying the influence of the Orioles on the city. The project, which was supported financially by the Abell Foundation and professionally by The Sun, can be found by clicking here.

The project includes a variety of stories illustrating the impact of the Orioles -- and their lengthy downturn -- on the social and economic fabric of Charm City. It's certainly worth a look.

Steve Kilar/Capital News Service

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Join me at 5:15 when I join Keith Mills for the Ravens pregame show on WBAL (1090 AM) and WBAL.com. We'll be breaking down the roster heading toward the final cut and warming you up for tonight's final preseason game against the Rams in St. Louis.

The fourth preseason game doesn't usually feature a tremendous amount of intrigue, but there are some interesting subplots. The fight for the extra receiver spots will be front and center, and No. 3 quarterback Troy Smith is expected to play most or all of the game.

Maybe most important of the final roster battles is between placekickers Billy Cundiff and Shayne Graham, who are making it very difficult for the coaching staff to separate them. Cundiff is the incumbent, but the fact that the Ravens brought the experienced Graham in to challenge him for the job may be an indication that the team will lean toward him if the competition remains close after tonight.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Just football, Shameless plug
        

Thought you might appreciate a quick movie review, since I sneaked away from my blog yesterday long enough to be one of the first to see the new George Clooney film -- The American.

The movie has both fans and critics lining up on both ends of the spectrum. I enjoyed it, but it was definitely a slow, thoughtful, suspense non-thriller (and I don't mean that as a criticism) that will have you scratching your head a little on the way out of the theater. It's a hit-man movie with an odd, European neo-realist feel to it.

I'm not going out on a limb here. You're going to either love it or hate it.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: The 30-second Critic
        

Well, count Jon Lester as both good and resilient. He was down 5-2 in the second inning, but he's still the pitcher of record and the Red Sox are teeing off on the Orioles bullpen. Mark Hendrickson gave up a two-run homer to Marco Scutaro to tie the game in the seventh and has teamed up with Alfredo Simon to give up six runs. Adrian Beltre just hit a towering shot to left field to make it 9-5 Red Sox.

Lester is going to be 13-0 against the Orioles when this is over, which is amazing on a number of levels.

That's what happens when you don't put the hammer down while you've got the chance. Can't complain about five runs off a guy like Lester, but that wasn't enough because Jake Arrieta was not efficient enough with his pitch count to get into the late innings. Lester hung in there, throwing 120 pitches, and the Red Sox battled back.

It looked like September was going to start off in style, but tonight's game looks like it's going to end in a style to which the the Orioles became accustomed during the early months of the season.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Somebody wrote into the blog today and said that everybody in the media was wrong about the impact hiring a new manager would have on this team. I guess I fall into that category -- if we're talking everybody in the media, I guess I qualify -- and I'll be the first to "man up" and concede that I didn't think Buck could turn this team on a dime.

In fact, I said in late July that the Orioles should wait until today to put Buck in the dugout, so obviously I underestimated his impact on the ballclub, but I've already admitted to that several times.

Now, let's get down to it. If one more person tells me that the Orioles would be a .500 team right now if Andy MacPhail had hired Buck at the start of the season, I'm going to explode into the sportswriter version of a supernova, which will not be pretty. You'll need several rolls of paper towels. I'm going to tell you right now what would have happened if the Orioles had hired Showalter in time for Opening Day.

The Orioles would be well below .500 right now -- because Brian Roberts was hurt in the offseason, closer Michael Gonzalez was hurt in spring training, and Felix Pie tore a muscle in his back and went on the 60-day disabled list. Then there's the lack of a big-time power guy in the middle of the lineup, but maybe Buck would have brought that guy with him.

The bottom line: The chronic complainers would be ripping MacPhail for hiring a retread manager and burning up the blog with all the reasons why Showalter was never the right choice in the first place.

My take: Enjoy this while it lasts and hope it last for years, but I've got news for you. If the Orioles don't sign or acquire a big-time bat and one more starting pitcher, they won't be a .500 team next year either.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (54)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles have jumped all over Red Sox starter Jon Lester, who came into the game with a 12-0 lifetime record against them that is unmatched by any opposing pitcher in franchise history.

Maybe that will change today, because there already is action in the Red Sox bullpen and we're still in the bottom of the first inning. The Orioles have scored four times on four hits, a hit batsman and a wild pitch. There's a long way to go and Jake Arrieta gave up a run in the top of the first, but it's going to be hard for Lester to stay in the game long enough to win at this rate. He's closing on 30 pitches and there's only one out.

How unusual is this? Lester faced the Orioles three times previously this year and allowed just one run in 19 innings. In his last seven starts against the Orioles, he has allowed a total of six earned runs.

Instant update: Lester just got Nolan Reimold to bounce out and end the first inning, but not before he had thrown a total of 34 pitches.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Buck Showalter said recently that one of the best things about the Orioles' turnaround in August was seeing the players smiling again. He saw a lot of that again last night when Luke Scott and Felix Pie each homered in the eighth inning to give the O's some important insurance at the end of a very tight game.

Scott and Pie have a special relationship, and they also have a special greeting at the dugout steps when either one of them hits a home run. They slap hands in several directions and then make a sweeping flourish with their arms in an expression of unfettered baseball joy. They got to do it twice in the eighth inning and Showalter enjoyed watching them enjoy themselves.

"I welcome that,'' he said. "I want guys to enjoy playing baseball. Enjoy what you're getting an opportunity to do and when you get a return for doing things right, let it fly. I love the emotion. It's an emotional game, though sometimes you have tyo make sure it's funneled in the right direction."

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Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)