http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/ Some say it’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt. I disagree. en Copyright 2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:31:38 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss The Orioles claimed 26-year-old catcher Craig Tatum off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds today and designated left-handed pitcher Chris Waters for assignment. It's a minor transaction that gives the O's a good defensive guy to add minor league depth and maybe compete for the backup role behind Matt Wieters. I still have to believe the O's will re-sign Chad Moeller to be the backup/mentor for Wieters. The club declined his option for 2010 to save room on the 40-man roster, but indicated that Moeller could come back under the same terms as last year. If that happens, it likely would be after the Winter Meetings in December. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/os_make_minor_move.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/os_make_minor_move.html Just baseball Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:31:38 -0500 SportsCenter right after midnight last night to kick off this year's free agent frenzy. Obviously, the Orioles aren't in on Lackey, but they'll be in a lot of rumors. They'll be used by some teams and they'll have a legitimate shot at some medium guys if they really want to sign one or two of them. I'll be interested to see if they are aggressive with some of those comeback pitchers like Erik Bedard. That's where a team could catch lightning in a bottle and be much more competitive than they might appear on paper. But it'll be awhile before we have a real clue. Today's shameless plug: You need to rush to the radio right now and tune into WBAL (1090 AM) or WBAL.com for The Week in Review with me, Clarence Mitchell IV and state senator Jim Brochim. We'll be butting heads from noon to 3 p.m. on a variety of subjects, from Sheila to Oprah and everything in between.]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_free_agent_letdown.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_free_agent_letdown.html Just baseball Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:36:59 -0500 Actually, I am a little worried about the direction the Orioles may take this offseason, because Andy MacPhail has painted himself into a corner with his stated desire not to trade any of the top prospects for offensive help. That wouldn't bother me if the free agent market -- which opens for business tomorrow -- was heavy with run-producing corner infielders that could be had for reasonable years and salary, but the choices are fairly limited and none of them is a slam-dunk fit for this team going forward. I believe the Orioles have to go out and get at least one decent middle-of-the-order bat, and I'm starting to wonder if they're willing to spend even the medium money it would take to do that. I'm afraid there might be a disconnect between the front office, which may be dispassionately looking at the team and figuring that there's no point in spending much if there is little chance of competing for a wild card berth next year, and a disintegrating fan following that wants to see the team take a tangible step forward in 2010. In which case, we may see another half effort to upgrade the batting order. There may be some nuts and bolts logic there, but you can't remove the fans from the equation. They need to be reassured that the club is really moving forward, and you're not going send that message by conceding another 90-plus loss season. That doesn't mean you have to throw the plan out the window, but you can't steer around every opportunity to improve because a player might block one of your unproven prospects. The Orioles need to upgrade offensively at first and third base and they have prospects who have a chance to pop over the next two years at those positions. That is an argument against giving out big multi-year deals to fill both holes, but in the DH league, you still have the flexibility to sign or acquire one quality corner infield guy without really blocking anyone. If we wake up in February with Michael Aubrey projected at first base and Ty Wigginton at third, it's going to be very hard to convince the paying customers that the team will ever be willing to do what it takes to really compete in the American League East. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_what_me_worry.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_what_me_worry.html Just baseball Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:12:26 -0500 Just finished reading Jamison Hensley's story about new Colts kicker Matt Stover -- which you can read right here -- and it got me to wondering just what kind of reception he should get on Sunday when he trots onto the field at M&T Bank Stadium with a horseshoe on his helmet. Well, I know what kind of welcome he should get. The guy was a great player here for all of the Ravens history until this season and didn't ask out of town, so I think he should get a standing ovation. I realize that he signed with the one team Ravens fans did not want him to sign with, but the guy wanted to keep playing and that was the best opportunity. You know you would have done the same thing in his situation. I know if The Sun laid me off tomorrow and I was offered a job at the Indianapolis Star, I'd certainly have to consider it. Now, for the question. What kind of welcome will he get? And will your long-held high opinion of him change if he kicks a game-winning field goal as the clock runs out? Getty Images]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_how_will_you_welcome_st.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_how_will_you_welcome_st.html Just football Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:33:17 -0500 here's my full column on the subject, which appears in today's print edition and is up on the Web site.]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_im_going_rogue.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_im_going_rogue.html Just football Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:05:50 -0500 The Orioles moved six players onto the 40-man roster today in anticipation of Friday's deadline for submitting their protected list to MLB. The O's added pitchers Brandon Erbe and Luis Lebron and infielders Josh Bell, Brandon Snyder, Rhyne Hughes and Pedro Florimon, bringing the roster to a full 40. That leaves a few recognizable players exposed to the Rule 5 Draft -- including shortstop Blake Davis and recently acquired pitcher Steve Johnson -- and leaves room to question why certain journeyman-type players are still on the 40-man. The Orioles kept pitcher Chris Waters, for instance, even though he didn't seem to be on the radar when the Orioles needed help at several points last season. There is a plausible explanation: If there are some players still on the 40-man who seem more expendable than some who were left unprotected, keep in mind that somebody is going to have to be moved off the roster for every player acquired or signed during the offseason. If the entire roster was filled out with young players the team does not want to risk losing on waivers, that would create a disincentive to upgrade the roster through free agency. The team instead is gambling that -- in the case of Johnson -- no major league club is going to pick up a pitcher who has never played above Double-A and keep him at the major league level for the entire 2010 season. That's probably a fair bet. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_making_sense_of_todays.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_making_sense_of_todays.html Just baseball Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:16:53 -0500 Believe it or not, most of the oddsmakers opened the action on the Ravens and Colts game with the Ravens posted as a one-point favorite. The line has fluctuated over the past 24 hours, with the early bettors moving the Colts up to -1 today and some outlets listing the game as dead even. I'm obviously missing something. If you had told me yesterday that I could get the Colts as an underdog in Sunday's game -- or a pick-em -- I would have taken out a huge home equity loan and bet the house on them. I figured the Colts would be about a 6 1/2-point favorite, and I would have considered that conservative. But the guys in Vegas are a lot smarter than me -- either that or somebody didn't get the memo on Terrell Suggs -- so that line should bouy the spirits of Ravens who could not take a lot of solace in Monday night's 16-0 victory over the Browns. I scanned some of the internet betting sites, to see if I could get the lowdown on this, but I still don't see it. There's just no way to look at this from a pure football perspective and see it as an even game, though strange stuff happens every week in the NFL. The only bit of gambling information that I found to support a line like this is the fact that the Ravens have been strong against the spread (13-5 in their last 18 games) after a straight up win the past couple of years. But that should be offset by the fact that the Colts have a similar recent percentage in the same situations. To further offset that, the Ravens are 0-5 against the spread in their last five Sunday games coming off a Monday night game. All I can say is that I hope the oddsmakers are right and I'm wrong. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Colts will be listed as a 3 1/2-point favorite by Sunday, which would be a pretty significant four-day shift in an NFL betting line. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/get_this_ravens_favored.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/get_this_ravens_favored.html Just football Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:55:13 -0500 First base Hank Blalock TEX Russell Branyan SEA Carlos Delgado NYM (B) Nomar Garciaparra OAK Jason Giambi COL Ross Gload FLA Aubrey Huff DET Nick Johnson WAS (B) Adam LaRoche ATL (B) Kevin Millar TOR Robb Quinlan LAA Matt Stairs PHI Mike Sweeney SEA Jim Thome LAD Chad Tracy ARZ Third base Adrian Beltre SEA (B) Geoff Blum HOU Craig Counsell MIL Joe Crede MIN Mark DeRosa STL (B) Pedro Feliz PHI Chone Figgins LAA (A) Troy Glaus STL (A) Jerry Hairston NYY Mike Lamb MIL Melvin Mora BAL (B) Juan Uribe SF If you recall, the name that was buzzing around late this last season was Nick Johnson, but I'm trying to figure out how to cast a guy who has a total of 13 homers over the past two years and has never driven in 80 runs in a season as an upgrade. Personally, I'd like to see the Orioles make a real play for third baseman Adrian Beltre. The guy is coming off an injury-diminished 2009, but hit at least 25 home runs the previous three seasons. He'll be in some demand, but might consider the Orioles because of his close relationship with shortstop Cesar Izturis. Our beat guy, Jeff Zrebiec, thinks that Pedro Feliz is the most likely third base possibility. The best player available at third is Chone Figgins, who would be an interesting choice if there was any chance he would consider Baltimore. ]]> http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_going_to_market_1.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_going_to_market_1.html Just baseball Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:01:14 -0500 Well, I guess somebody was impressed with the Ravens' 16-0 road victory over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football, because they moved up from 14th place to 11th place in the ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings. Of course, those are the same Power Rankings -- along with SI.com -- that had the Ravens as the best team in the NFL after Week 3 but who's counting. This week, ESPN ranks the Ravens as the best 5-4 team in the sport, jumping ahead of the Eagles, Texans and Falcons. They could jump back to No.6 or 7 with an upset victory over the Colts this Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. If you're holding your breath on that, you might turn blue. My first take of the week on the Ravens/Colts showdown will be posted on the Web site later today. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_get_some_love_from_espn.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_get_some_love_from_espn.html Just football Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:36:10 -0500 Though no one can be shocked to hear that Steve Hauschka was released by the Ravens today, I also don't think anybody should be happy about it. He's a good kid and he just had his NFL dream shattered, so there is nothing to celebrate here. This is the point where everybody knows that the Ravens should never have let Matt Stover get away, even if the logic of moving ahead with a young kicker made perfect sense last summer. The fan emotion attached to the situation is further magnified by the fact that Stover will be coming home on Sunday in an Indianapolis Colts uniform. Talk about your worst nightmare if you're an old Colts fan here in Baltimore. I really hate to see the Ravens give up on Hauschka, but I don't see how they could get around it. That missed field goal in Minnesota put him on notice. His miss during the Ravens attempted comeback against the Bengals last week put him on double secret probation. And last night's early miss (combined with a blocked PAT) left the team little alternative going into back-to-back games against the Colts and Steelers that team officials -- at this point -- can only hope come down to a field goal. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_hauschka_is_history.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_hauschka_is_history.html Just football Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:30:10 -0500 Okay, I know nobody came here to read me gloat about that unlikely Cal State Fullerton victory over UCLA early this morning on ESPN, so let's resume the conversation about the Ravens' 16-0 victory over the Cleveland Browns. There are two pretty clear sets of people here. Those who think the Ravens proved they are not a playoff-caliber team by failing to score in the first half against the feeble Browns, and the glass-half-full crowd that thinks any road win is a good win. I'd like to be in the glass-half-full crowd, but after watching the Ravens manage one significant offensive play in 60 minutes of what could loosely be described as football, I can't even find the glass. That's right, the long pass to Derrick Mason that set up the only Ravens offensive touchdown was really the only play of any consequence by Cam Cameron's offense, which is going to have to look a lot more like the Ravens did in September to have any chance of competing with Peyton Manning and the Colts this weekend. Whenever the Colts come to town, it opens old wounds for football fans in Baltimore, but I doubt anybody's going to have time for that this week. There's plenty to worry about right in the here and now. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_nocuddle_offense.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_nocuddle_offense.html Just football Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:37:37 -0500 Frankly, I wasn't all that excited about ESPN's 24 straight hours of college basketball...until my Cal State Fullerton Titans upset UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in last night's double-overtime midnight matchup. I'm still yawning after staying up until nearly 3 a.m. to see the end. Got to wonder about UCLA. The Titans were picked to finish seventh in their conference and UCLA got just about every call from the Pac-10 offciating crew and still couldn't outlast one of their cannon fodder preseason opponents. The Bruins are in a rebuilding year, but that still shouldn't happen to a program of that magnitude. I'm not whining after a victory, but Fullerton was smothered under the rim down the stretch and UCLA did not get called for a single personal foul for the first 15 1/2 minutes of the second half. If they were that good, they wouldn't have been behind almost the entire game. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/titans_win_no_not_those_titans.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/titans_win_no_not_those_titans.html Schmuck being Schmuck Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:27:17 -0500 I'm sure there's a way to spin last night's game at Cleveland Browns Stadium as a something other than another less-than-satisfying performance by a Ravens team that needed to make some kind of statement in advance of back-to-back home games against the Colts and Steelers. But I can't come up with anything off the top of my head. The Ravens played one of the worst teams in the NFL and managed just one offensive touchdown, which doesn't bode well for what might happen when Peyton Manning starts flinging the ball around M&T Bank Stadium. Everyone seemed to agree that the Ravens needed to start quick against the hapless Browns, but neither team scored in the first half -- the first time that has happened in the NFL this season. Once again, Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense got things going early in the second half, but nine of their 16 points came off Browns turnovers. The inability to make an offensive statement in this game left MNF analysts Steve Young and Matt Millen wondering -- like the rest of us -- just how the Ravens expect to compete against two of the best teams in the AFC the next two weeks. The Ravens again had trouble moving the chains in the first half. Steve Hauschka missed another field goal. The defense pitched a shutout, but I'm even sure what to make of that after watching Brady Quinn struggle all night. I'm not trying to be negative. Really, I'm not. But in this case, I don't think you can say that a win is a win and ignore the obvious. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_what_did_we_learn_on_mn.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/ravens_what_did_we_learn_on_mn.html Just football Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:00:16 -0500 Obviously, no one should be surprised that Andrew Bailey was just announced as the American League Rookie of the Year after the great season he had out of the Oakland A's bullpen, but I am a bit surprised that neither Brad Bergesen nor Nolan Reimold registered a single point in the balloting. Reimold either led or ranked highly among AL rookies position players in all the Triple Crown categories for much of the year, but his final numbers weren't impressive enough to get any love from the BBWAA selection committee. I think Brad Bergesen would have been in play if he had not had his leg cut out from under him late in the season. You could have made a case for the second and third place guys (Elvis Andrus and Rick Porcello), but there was no room for such ambivalence on the National League side, where Chris Coghlan's terrific offensive stats made him the third Florida Marlin to be named Rookie of the Year. Oh well, maybe those guys will have an easier time sneaking up on the rest of the league next year. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_roy_voters_pitch_shuto.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_roy_voters_pitch_shuto.html Just baseball Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:17:20 -0500 The American League Rookie of the Year is about to be announced by the Baseball Writers Association of America, but there's no sense anyone here getting their hopes up. The Orioles had a couple of legitimate candidates emerge during the season, but Brad Bergesen's season was cut short by injury and Nolan Reimold's raw numbers -- though solid in relation to other rookie hitters this year -- just aren't impressive enough to overcome the big pitching performances from Rick Porcello, Jeff Niemann and Andrew Bailey or top position candidate Elvis Andrus. I'm guessing Reimold finishes fifth in the balloting and Bergesen sixth. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_and_the_envelope_pleas.html http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2009/11/orioles_and_the_envelope_pleas.html Just baseball Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:55:05 -0500