Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He had one of the shortest names of anyone to play for the Baltimore Colts – and one of the longest careers here.

For 13 years, David Lee punted for the Colts, sending spirals airborne and often pinning opponents near their goal line. Twice, he won the NFL punting crown (1966 and 1969) while helping Baltimore to six division titles and a Super Bowl victory.

Lee retired in 1978, having punted 838 times for more than 34,000 yards, or nearly 20 miles. But it was one lousy kick, early in his career, that the All Pro remembers most.

"I shanked a punt, stormed off the field, tore off my helmet and started to swing at the water cooler," Lee said.

Then John Unitas tapped his 6-foot-4 teammate on the shoulder.

"You’ve got to forget about that (bleeping) kick," the Colts’ quarterback said, "because you may have to do it again in five minutes."

Lee nodded and cooled off.

"At that moment, I knew what made John tick – bad plays never affected him," he said. "I never forgot."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt David Lee" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 4:30 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I was a little late getting going this week, sort of like the Ravens in Cleveland on Monday night.

As we know, a win is a win. But that one was not particularly inspiring. At least the Ravens don’t have to face an undefeated team on a short week this Sunday.

As for our free tab of the week based on the prediction for Sunday’s game, you’re all paying. Because the house won. Or at least I came the closest on both sides to predicting the 16-0 win. I had 24-6, and so did Frederick McMurray (a drink chip your way).

We all assumed a Ravens’ beating for the Browns, but most of us overestimated the Raven’s offense. There were three customers who predicted shutouts; the closest was 27-0.

So, yeah, the Ravens won, but there were plenty of red flags from that game. Most alarming was the continuing number of yellow flags. There’s a fine line between aggressive and stupid.

Monday also marked the end of Steve Hauschka’s Ravens career. Missing a 36-yarder and having an extra point blocked was not the way he needed to rebound.

Now the Ravens are kicker shopping with a more than a week to go before Black Friday. Not a good sign for a team that still has playoff hopes.

Forget Monday-morning quarterbacking, the Hauschka decision should create some Wednesday-morning placekicking. It’s pretty obvious the Ravens should have stuck with fan favorite Matt Stover this season. His accuracy is definitely missed.

But how much? What I mean is how much different would this Ravens’ team be with Stover, who is now with Sunday’s opponent, the Indianapolis Colts? Would it still be in “long playoff run, Super Bowl talk” discussion?

One school of thought is that Stover would have given them a win against Minnesota and possibly one against Cincinnati. The other way of thinking: Stover is a kicker. If your team is lamenting the loss of its kicker, it’s got bigger problems than missed field goals.

My opinion: Stover would help, for sure. But unless he can cover 6-foot-4 receivers, provide a pass rush and get to the line of scrimmage without a false start, I am not convinced Matt Stover is the difference between a playoff Ravens’ team and an also-ran.

Then again, I am a baseball guy by trade. School me, people. Learn me, football gurus.

Daily Think Special: How much has Matt Stover’s absence hurt the Ravens?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:47 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

We’re going from the outfield to the open field today.

It’s Prediction Friday, which in recent weeks could be called, “Dan’s Wrong Friday.”

I can’t seem to figure out these Ravens, at least not as well as opposing offenses.

The gut says the Ravens roll on Monday Night Football. That the maligned defense feasts on a weak Cleveland Browns’ offense.

And that the Ravens’ offensive line beats down the Browns’ defensive front, allowing Ray Rice and company to run wild while Joe Flacco gets time to pick apart the secondary.

But the gut has been so wrong so often this season when it comes to the Ravens that I am not sure whether to trust it.

My best guess is that the Ravens’ win 24-6. Rice has two TDs and over 100 yards rushing to be the hero of the game.

Now, it’s your turn. Predict the score and the hero on Monday Night Football. Are you betting on Jekyll or Hyde to show up?

We’ll give you an extra day to contemplate this one. We’ll leave this up until Monday’s game.

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Browns.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:31 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

It was an interesting day at the bar on Wednesday.

Lots of good discussion about the Orioles’ current defensive outfield situation.

And a few silly comments thrown in there, too. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, but I am going to have to call a cab for some of you.

For the record, and in case it didn’t get spelled out Wednesday, I am happy for Adam Jones that he won a Gold Glove. I never questioned whether he is deserving; I simply said I was a bit surprised because I think he had a better defensive year in 2008.

And I do believe, at this point in their careers, Nick Markakis is a slightly better defensive outfielder, though Jones has the potential to be better as his career unfolds. Plus Jones plays center field, and that does mean something.

The important thing for beleaguered Orioles fans is that you have both of them for a long time. Enjoy that.

The overall discussion – and some of the rants about the Gold Glove going mostly to center fielders – got me thinking.

If you were to use the current Gold Glove rules – that is, choose three overall outfielders, not necessarily one each from left, right and center – to represent the Orioles’ all-time best defensive outfield, who would be in it?

As much as I don’t like the “three center fielders approach” that the Gold Glove committee uses, it’s true that when I think of the best defensive outfielders in O’s history, I immediately think of center fielders, before I shift to the left and right.

So here’s the task at hand today: If you were to give out Gold Gloves to three Orioles outfielders throughout the years, who would win?

There’s no question Paul Blair is one answer. Even if you never saw him play – and I don’t have clear memories of him in Baltimore – he probably should be on your list. Everything I have ever heard from players and fans is that Blair was the best defensive outfielder to ever wear an Orioles uniform. And he has eight Gold Gloves to prove it.

So he gets my first award. I think I have to give the second to Al Bumbry, who was the guy I watched growing up, and that little guy had serious hops before we ever referred to jumping ability as serious hops. Plus, he had his share of outfield assists.

The third is tricky. Mike Devereaux is probably my ultimate answer, but that leaves Jones (the only other Orioles outfielder with a Gold Glove) off the list. That also would deny Nick Markakis, Brady Anderson, Steve Finley, Frank Robinson and Jackie Brandt, among others, the award.

There is no wrong answer here. Pick three outfielders (yes, it can be all center fielders) to receive the Orioles’ all-time Gold Glove. I’d love to hear the reasoning behind your choices.

Daily Think Special: Who are the three best defensive outfielders in Orioles history?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:23 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (72)
        

Adam Jones is now the 13th Oriole to receive an American League Gold Glove and the first since some pitcher named Mike in 1999.

Jones deserves congratulations for the honor – just another impressive accolade for the Orioles’ 24-year-old center fielder.

But I have to admit I am a bit surprised.

Honestly, I thought Jones had a better year defensively in 2008 than he did this year. His penchant for playing a shallow center field caught up with him at times in 2009, probably partially because Jones was dealing with leg issues much of the season and his incredible initial burst was slightly stunted.

Since Jones is a gamer, though, he kept playing through the injuries, until a sprained left ankle sidelined him for the final month of the season. And that’s another reason I am surprised he won the award this season – he only played 116 games in center in 2009.

A case could be made that the Orioles didn’t lose much – if anything – defensively when Felix Pie took over in center. Pie doesn’t make it look as easy or as pretty as Jones does, but he also makes fewer mistakes.

And then there is the guy to their left, right fielder Nick Markakis.

Rawlings – on votes cast by managers and coaches – names three Gold Glove outfielders per league per year, but specific outfield positions aren’t used.

Therefore, the recipients are usually three center fielders, since they are considered the generals of the outfield.

So Markakis, by virtue of being a right fielder, has a built-in handicap in the Gold Glove voting.

If it were my vote, I’d give it to Markakis over Jones in 2009, though Jones, who, remember, was a shortstop not that long ago, has a tremendous upside.

Nick, though, is extremely instinctive and has a more accurate arm than Adam. Pie is most certainly in this conversation, too.

The bottom line is that all three are very good defensive players and make up one of the best trio of outfielders this club has seen in a long time.

But I want to know who you think is the best defender of the group – you can throw left fielder Nolan Reimold in there if you like, though the rookie, in my opinion, doesn’t come close defensively to the other three. You stats guys can use zone rating and the like to support your cause if you please. I am sticking with my eyes in this instance.

Daily Think Special: Who is the Orioles’ best current defensive outfielder?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:06 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

OK, I think we can all admit this now.

The Bengals are a lot better than we thought. Even better than they looked last time around. There were only five bar patrons this weekend that predicted a Bengals win.

CB, Mike B., Steven and Rich all get a free drink chip for picking the right winner. And T.J. gets a free drink tab all week for his guess: 24-13 Bengals. It was the closest to the 17-7 outcome.

Here comes the tough part. I’m not really sure what to say here about Sunday’s loss. They simply looked like an overmatched team.

The Ravens have dropped to 4-4 and don’t have an easy road ahead. They have to play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice, as well as the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

They do face a trifecta of bad teams – and must wins – against Cleveland, Detroit and Oakland.

So they need to win those, at least split with the Steelers and then win two of three against the Colts, Bears and Packers to get to 10-6.

It can be done. But the Bengals are in the driver’s seat and the Steelers are riding shotgun. So the Ravens have to excel in the second half to make it to the playoffs.

There’s definitely a lot of season left. But even the most optimistic Ravens fans have to be disappointed in the first half. The question is can they do enough to make the playoffs?

Or maybe the real question is what must they do on the field to make the playoffs?

Daily Think Special: What must the Ravens do to have a successful second half?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:07 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (59)
        

Before we get to the Ravens today, I have some Orioles info to pass on.

Bodog.com, an online gambling site, set its odds for winning next year’s World Series, and the Orioles are 75-1 longshots. The only clubs worse off are the Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. They are all at 100-1 to win the 2010 title.

So, yeah, aren’t you glad it’s Prediction Friday and we have the Ravens to discuss?

(By the way, here’s a drink chip to CSB Jack, who predicted the exact score of the Ravens’ 30-7 victory over the Broncos. Of course, he cheated and submitted it after the fact while the bar was closed. But I am offering a chip anyway for his creativity.)

Now, for your predictions (you must submit before the Bengals’ game, Jack).

For the record, I will not be overlooking the Bengals the way I did in Week 5, when Cincinnati won in Baltimore, 17-14. But I am still going with the Ravens to win.

I am sticking with the same theory I had for the Broncos game (though I didn’t write it). The Ravens need this win more than the Bengals. If they lose, they drop two games behind Cincinnati and also will lose the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Ravens aren’t talking about desperation, which admittedly is a bit of a stretch at Game 8. But this one is pretty darn important.

So I say the Ravens win 17-10 on a Kelley Washington 23-yard TD reception from Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter.

We’ll make Washington the game’s hero. Why? No clue.

Daily Think Special: Predict the winner, score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Bengals game.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (36)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ..." Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

For five years he manned the trenches for Baltimore, stalking quarterbacks and dropping ball carriers in their tracks. During the 1970s, few players could stuff the run like John Dutton, the Colts’ 6-foot-7, 290-pound All Pro defensive end.

So what does Dutton do now?

He sells stop signs.

He used to be one.

A member of Baltimore’s celebrated "Sack Pack," Dutton helped the Colts to three straight American Football Conference East championships (1975-77).

Driven by their young front four – Dutton, Fred Cook, Joe Ehrmann and Mike Barnes – those Colts won 31 of 42 regular-season games, but lost each year in the playoffs.

"What chemistry we had," said Dutton, 58, who owns a sign-making company in Dallas. "All four of us were tough to block, and quarterbacks couldn’t just sit in the pocket. One of us was always breaking free to make a sack."

Too often, it was Dutton, a first-round draft pick from Nebraska who had a career-high 17 sacks in 1975, his second year in the pros. Three times, he nailed Kansas City’s Len Dawson in a 28-14 victory. The game ball sits on a shelf in Dutton’s den, beside his battle-scarred Colts helmet and three Pro Bowl trophies.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt John Dutton" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 7:39 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

With the Evil Empire poised to win its 27th World Series tonight in Philly, tell me what you'll remember most about this Yankees-Phillies matchup.

Cliff Lee's lights-out pitching mastery for the Phils in Game 1? Alex Rodriguez finally shucking the choking-dog label and emerging as Mr. November for the Yankees?

Me, I'll remember Johnny Damon's brilliant base running in the Yankees' 7-4 win in Game 4. Two steals in the ninth inning after a great nine-pitch at-bat and a single off Phillies closer Brad Lidge. He steals second, sees that Philly third baseman Pedro Feliz took the throw (a shift was on for Mark Teixeira) and no one's covering third. So he promptly takes outruns Feliz and steals third.

What a heads-up play! It was one for the ages. They'll be talking about it for as long as people talk about the Fall Classic.

Now if only the Yankees would tank tonight so the Phillies can get back in this thing ...

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:31 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Today, Sun scribes and Brent Jones and Kevin Van Valkenburg bring back one of our favorite reoccurring features at the Toy Department: The Conversation. Two writers swap e-mails and give their take on something recently in the news. This week, Brent and Kevin discuss the recent ESPN "30 for 30" documentary "Muhammad and Larry" about the 1980 heavyweight bout between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes, and why mixed martial arts can never live up to the sweet science.

KVV,

First off, good piece last weekend on mixed martial arts making its debut in Maryland. Although I’m largely indifferent about the sport, I appreciate the skill and toughness these athletes need to have to make it work. What saddens me about it, though, and prompted me to write is that the sport’s rise coincides with a substantial decrease over the last decade in the popularity of another pugilist mainstay – boxing. I love the sweet science. Always have. Good news is, I got a fix on Tuesday when ESPN’s "30 for 30" series ran a wonderfully depressing documentary on the Muhammad  Ali-Larry Holmes fight in 1980. (A quick aside before we delve into the topic; the "30 for 30" series may wind up easily being the best original production ESPN has ever done. This is, in no small part, because it outsourced all of the work to experienced filmmakers. Barry Levinson’s piece on The Colts band's remaining relevant after the team’s move to Indianapolis was the most comprehensive work I’ve seen about the departure. I know you were in Montana and I was in Florida in 1984, and frankly I think I was 7 and you were 6. It’s safe to say we don’t know much about what happened. I found the piece fascinatingly informative and a must topic for another thread, although the piece ran three weeks ago, so we’d be running a little late.)

Back to the present and Ali (it’s re-running this week on the Deuce, for those of you who missed it). And yes, I didn’t mention Holmes because much like the fight itself, Ali’s presence overshadowed Holmes. I don’t remember Ali fighting live, as I’m sure you don’t either, but being sportswriters, I know we’ve both seen our share of Ali films, books, interviews and, of course, fights. I had not seen much footage of the Holmes fight. And while the beating he took was disturbing in and of itself, one of the most head-scratching things I’ve ever seen in sports came leading into the fight.

Photo courtesy of ESPN 

I thought for a moment that Ali was joking. His pranks and sense of humor were legendary, so surely he was just clowning around when he was having trouble hitting the speed bag. Indeed, he was not. Few moments in sports have struck me as more pathetic. Here was the greatest boxer of all time, one who relied on quick hands and speed as much as any heavyweight in history, unable to do the most basic of boxing training regimens. It took him three tries to actually work up a decent rhythm with it. Along with that sweet mustache Ali was sporting, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that image.

Obviously, Ali’s career went on entirely too long, and it helped contribute to the Parkinson’s disease he has now. But after watching the beating he took during his training and the fight itself, how much do you fault this fight for putting him over the edge and in the mental state he is in now? And do you find it as unreal as I do that his handlers actually allowed him to enter the ring considering how awful he looked in training?  And why are we just now seeing this footage for the first time? I have my conspiracy theories about why it never made it on television for 29 years.

Attempting to become the greatest buffalo wing eater of all time,

Jones

Continue reading "The Conversation: Muhammad and Larry, Boxing and MMA" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 11:36 AM in The Conversation, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his\her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

Bert Jones backpedaled, ducked the rush and threw. Fifty yards away, Roger Carr gathered in the football and, having outrun two defenders, streaked into the end zone for a 68-yard touchdown.

Then, as the Memorial Stadium crowd of 50,374 roared, the young Baltimore Colts receiver leaped high in the end zone, reached over the crossbar ... and spiked the ball.

The fans went nuts. So did Carr, who would add two more TDs that afternoon in a stellar performance during the Colts’ 1976 home opener. He finished with six receptions for 198 yards in a 28-27 victory over Cincinnati.

Thirty-three years later, Carr, now 57, recalled the buzz he felt that day, a sense that he’d finally arrived in the NFL.

"That’s the game that really got me going," said Carr, a first-round draft pick from Louisiana Tech in 1974. "I’d made other catches, sure, but that day told me that I belonged. That’s why I spiked the ball. When I crossed the goal line, I felt as though I’d busted through."

1976 Sun file photo by Carl D. Harris

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Roger Carr" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:15 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Back to baseball for a day.

(But a quick programming note first. With the Ravens’ bye week coming up and the Orioles rather silent, I am going to be shutting the bar down, likely for the rest of October. That means probably no Prediction Friday this week or next, but we’ll get back to sports talk in early November. Thursday will probably be the last day for a while, but I’ll leave the key under the door in case you guys need an emergency drink.)

Anyway, I was in Philly on Monday and watched the Phillies come back to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers and go up 3-1 in the National League Championship Series.

In the preseason I predicted the Dodgers would win the World Series. Technically, they are still alive, but I don’t see it happening now. The Phillies are a very good team with a great offense and a dependable – if not formidable -- rotation.

So I am pretty sure they’ll represent the NL again in the World Series.

Now I know if they play the Yankees in the October Classic, this place will suddenly become South Street South. But otherwise I am curious as to hear what Baltimore fans think about the success in Philadelphia.

There was a time when the two cities had a little geographical rivalry, especially between the Orioles and Phillies, who met in the 1983 World Series.

I went to a Pennsylvania college and the number of Philadelphia sports fans there grossly outnumbered Baltimore/Washington or New York area fans.

And so I had a lot of Philly sports shoved down my throat in four years.

It has been a long time since I have been a fan or hater of any particular sports team, though. So I want your opinion on the Phillies and Philadelphia sports in general.

To be honest, I think this Phillies team is pretty likeable. Also, two men with Orioles ties that I respect, third base coach Sam Perlozzo and assistant GM Scott Proefrock, are in line for a ring, and I’d like to see that happen for their sakes.

Plus, after the initial celebration wore off, Philly Phanatics were pretty darn civil and respectable this year as the fans of the defending World Champions. They didn’t seem to flaunt it the way a certain crew up north has recently. I think part of it is that Philly fans are so used to falling short that they were waiting for someone to wake them up this year.

So I don’t have a problem if they repeat. But do you?

Daily Think Special: What’s your feeling on Philadelphia sports fans and their teams?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He was the most prolific placekicker in Baltimore Colts history, a rugged miner’s son with coal-black hair, a snarly look and a square-toed shoe that booted 107 field goals for the team in its heyday.

Famous, Lou Michaels was not. Other Colts made more spectacular kicks. Steve Myhra’s field goal sent the 1958 NFL championship game into sudden-death, and Jim O’Brien’s three-pointer won the 1971 Super Bowl.

But no kicker teed it up more times here than Michaels, who played six seasons (1964 through 1969), during which the Colts won 63 games, lost 17 and tied 4.

"Nowhere in there can you find a game where we lost because I missed a field goal," said Michaels, 74.

1965 Sun file photo

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Lou Michaels" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Now that Ravens fans are a bit on the disgruntled side, there has been a whole lot of remorse getting tossed around the bar.

Usually we save that kind of second-guessing for old flames at 1 a.m. But I’ll indulge you all today.

The Ravens broke up their long-term relationships with several players/personnel last offseason.

The list of those hitting the road included linebacker Bart Scott, kicker Matt Stover, defensive back Jim Leonhard and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, among others.

Each name has been brought up in the last few days, with that “I never should have dumped him” tone.

You could argue the Ravens could use all of them back here. But which one do they miss the most? Is there someone else from the 2008 team that they need right now?

Sure, some left on their own accord, others the Ravens chose not to re-up. Point is, they aren’t here anymore.

It’s time to cry in your beer over spilled milk.

Daily Think Special: Which 2008 Raven does this year's team miss the most?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:44 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first.

That was one heck of a game at the Metrodome Sunday. I know it didn’t end the way most of you wanted, but it couldn’t have been much more entertaining.

And Joe Flacco couldn’t have looked more like vintage Brett Favre if he had worn Wranglers and retired in the fourth quarter.

Still, the Ravens lost and have dropped three straight. What was a season of immense possibilities (3-0) is now one of confounding mediocrity (3-3).

Several of you picked the Vikings to win this one, but no one was real close to the 33-31 score. So I am giving the free bar tab this week to Space, who predicted a 24-23 Ravens’ loss. He wins because he knew this would be a nail-biter that would end poorly.

Steve Hauschka missed the game-winner, but he didn’t lose this game. The secondary did. It was a concern before the season started and it’s absolutely alarming now.

Sure, there are plenty of positives with this team. It has heart, and Joe Flacco, despite his inexperience and inconsistency, is often a pleasure to watch. That said, it may not matter if other teams can slice apart the Ravens’ pass defense.

That’s what I take from Sunday’s Ravens’ loss. Great game, but if the secondary doesn’t improve, the Ravens won’t get far in the postseason, if they make it at all.

Daily Think Special: What do you take away from Sunday’s Ravens loss?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:42 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (58)
        

You’ve made it to another Prediction Friday.

We are serving double shots of Purple Moose (or Purple Jesus in some parts) in honor of the Ravens-Vikings game in Minnesota. So line up.

I am no longer predicting blowouts. I have learned my lesson.

I think the Ravens win, because I don’t think they’ll lose three in a row heading into the bye week. Pretty scientific, huh? And some of you thought I was just a baseball guy.

I look at it like this: If the Vikings defensive front can keep up its impressive season, get past the young offensive line and pressure Joe Flacco, there could be some serious trouble for the Ravens. It Flacco can get some time, though, the Ravens should put up points, especially if they can add a balanced running attack as well.

Adrian Peterson is going to get his, as will old man Favre. But I still like the Ravens in this one, 27-24, on a late touchdown pass to Derrick Mason (remember him?)

I’ll give Flacco the hero of the game tiebreaker for three TDs, including a Favre-esque, game-winning drive.

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Vikings match-up.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... " 

Three months shy of his 84th birthday, Gino Marchetti sees life as an all-out pass rush. Forget old age – he hurdles it as nimbly as he did all of those blockers before sacking the quarterback.

Gino Marchetti at his West Chester, Pa., home in 2003. (Sun photo by Lloyd Fox)  

Marchetti walks up to three miles a day and bowls four times a week. In West Chester, Pa., where the Baltimore Colts Hall of Famer lives, they’re still buzzing about the 299 game Marchetti rolled a couple of years ago, one pin shy of a perfect score.

This year, he took up painting – not with brush and palette, but with roller and paint tray. He painted the master bedroom, plus the homes of two of his seven children. Then, feeling restless, Marchetti built a cedar closet in the basement for his wife, Joan.

How long can he keep up the pace?

"As long as I’m breathing," he said. "Hell, I’ll go on until I can’t open my eyes any more, until I join (John) Unitas up there in the sky – I hope."

As a player, patience was not Marchetti’s forte. Sundays found him prowling the Colts' dressing room, end to end, five hours before kickoff.

"I probably walked 30 miles before each game," he said.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Gino Marchetti" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 4:30 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

I know it is football season, but we’re going to talk baseball today.

We are going to talk baseball lots of days, no matter what the temperature is outside. We won’t abandon the Ravens, but I have to stick with my so-called expertise on occasion.

And that’s baseball, and those battered and beaten birds of Baltimore.

Before I get to them, though, a quick scouting report on the Jason Isbell concert for those that care (and based on the e-mails I’ve gotten about my lack of music discussion recently, some of you, a vocal/typing portion anyway, do).

Isbell put on a heck of a show, one that would make all Drive-By Truckers fans proud. He played for about two hours, did several of his most recent solo tunes as well as covers of The Talking Heads and Tom Petty and mixed in some of his Truckers stuff (“Outfit,” “The Day John Henry Died,” “Decoration Day.”) There were some technical difficulties at the venue, but Isbell and his band, the 400 Unit, fought through it and sounded great.

The only disappointment was the size of the crowd. I wasn’t expecting a Truckers’ audience, but thought there’d be more people out. Of course, as an old guy, I’m much more comfortable with gatherings versus crowds these days.

Two Baltimore notes from that night: The opener was Charm City’s own J Roddy Walston and the Business, a fun band that’s energy is only matched by its volume of hair. The drummer is Steve Colmus, who is one of the Warning Track Power guys that created “How Bout Dem O’s?” which we have featured here before. Steve came up and re-introduced himself to me before his gig, which was cool.

Also, I discovered after Isbell’s show that one of the guys in his band, keyboardist Derry deBorja, is from Towson. He’s a McDonogh grad, and this old Calvert Hall guy didn’t hold it against him. I swear.

So, yeah, Baltimore’s music scene was well represented in Pa. last week. Good to see.

OK, back to something you care more about: the Orioles.

As I wrote today, Dave Trembley has brought back all of his coaches except bench coach Dave Jauss. I guess that’s somewhat of a surprise from a team that lost 98 games in 2009. But if you believe that Trembley deserved to return despite the record, the same can probably be said about his staff.

The fact that the only one to get the ax was the bench coach isn’t surprising. The manager and the bench coach have to have a special relationship and if that doesn’t develop – or if it slips some over time -- it’s an easy spot to make a change. Don’t worry about Jauss, who has been in the game forever. He’ll surely find a job somewhere else.

I know some were disappointed that Juan Samuel stayed. A bad team’s third base coach is always a target for fans. It’s by far the easiest coaching position to criticize and, in the time I have covered this club, fans wanted the heads of Sam Perlozzo and Tom Trebelhorn, too. Yes, Samuel made some mistakes in 2009. But a third base coach is only noticed when he makes a questionable decision. The other 700-plus times when the team scores, no one gives him any credit for waving his arm.

Here’s what you need to know about Samuel: He is arguably the most respected person in the Orioles' clubhouse – players and coaches alike. A former all-star, he’s unafraid to tell a player when he did something wrong or isn’t acting professionally. And, at 48, he’s still has the muscle (and resume) to back it up. I would have kept him, too.

In fact, I’m OK with the returning of these coaches; there is something to be said for continuity, But are you?

Daily Think Special: Should the Orioles have brought back most of their coaching staff?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:26 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

My guess is you are stunned.

I definitely was stunned by the Cincinnati Bengals’ last-minute upset of the Ravens Sunday. Part of that was because I wholly underestimated the Bengals, especially their defense.

I also didn’t see the Ravens’ defense folding during crunch time. OK, I’ll be honest. I didn’t even expect a crunch time on Sunday.

That folding, of course, had plenty to do with the Ravens committing penalties. You can blame the officiating all you want, but the bottom line is the Ravens have lost two straight, and the Bengals now have an advantage in the AFC North.

And I guess the Bengals are for real.

Four patrons – Sentient, Space, Christian and Larry – each had the Bengals, and all deserve an open tab today. Larry, with a 21-17 Bengals’ prediction, gets the tab for the week. Enjoy.

For the rest of you, I am sure the first part of the week won’t be enjoyable. Rest assured, it won’t be a bowl of cherries for the Ravens, either.

My question is a little different today. Let’s forget about the two consecutive losses, and be forward thinking and try to build on Sunday's loss.

Daily Think Special: What must the Ravens do to improve from here forward?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:09 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (56)
        

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 4:32 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

OK, all.

The place is open for business and I’m swapping filled shot glasses for predictions.

But before we go there, a few personal notes (it is a blog, after all. So I am allowed to get personal. The gambling part is for recreational purposes only).

First, I apologize for the closed door this week. I was taking a breather after the long Orioles season and the breather turned into a veritable slumber after I had to tend overnight to a couple incredibly flu-bitten daughters. But I am back now.

Secondly, I must apologize to the music fans out there -- and I’ll eventually get to those of you who e-mailed me -- for my lack of music banter the past few busy weeks. I have some time to download new CDs now and I’ve updated my iPod (took me a while to figure out how to exclude my son’s “Harry and the Potters” tunes from my sync).

So we’ll throw some names and CD ideas around in the next few weeks, but I do have one programming note: I’m heading out Friday to see Jason Isbell play in Harrisburg, Pa. Isbell, as many of my hip patrons know, is the former “Drive-By Truckers” guitarist and songwriter who has ventured out on his own. The recent studio album is good, but rather bluesy and mellow. Curious as to how that translates into a live show.

Last, and most important, you may have read that The Baltimore Sun lost a valued employee this week when business editor Tim Wheatley was killed in a car accident while taking his 9-year-old daughter to school.

Tim was my sports editor for a few years, and he was the one who listened intently and then approved a silly idea to create a blog based around a fictitious sports bar. I’m sure he had his doubts, but he encouraged me to do this two years ago, and, honestly, if it weren’t for him, Connolly’s would never have seen the light of the Internet. For that, and the opportunity to interact with you people, I will forever be grateful to Tim.

Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers during this tragic, difficult time

Thanks for that. Now, to the matter at hand: The Ravens will crush the Cincinnati Bengals and Chad Ochocinco this week. I’m going with 34-14.

My hero of the game is the Ravens young running back Ray Veintisiete, who will run for two touchdowns, including one in excess of cincuenta yards.

I want your predicted score and game hero. Fake bar tabs are at stake, people.

Daily Think Special: Predict the Ravens-Bengals score and the game’s hero.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:07 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

 He wasn’t much to look at – a slender, 6-foot-3 guard with knobby knees, creaky hips and elbows that looked as if they’d been run through a pencil sharpener.

But, oh, could Earl Monroe play basketball.

For four years, Monroe wowed the crowds in Baltimore with circus shots, between-the-legs dribbles and no-look passes. Head fakes, stutter steps? Earl The Pearl wrote the book. Double pumps, reverse layups? Fans howled. Monroe suckered teams with triple spins that would have awed Kimmie Meissner.

AP Photo/2007

"God couldn’t go one-on-one with Earl Monroe," the Bullets’ Ray Scott once said of his Hall of Fame teammate.

From the time Monroe hit town as a rookie in 1967, the Civic Center was his juke joint. A first-round draft pick out of little Winston-Salem, he scored 22 points in his first game and a team-record 56 that same season against the Los Angeles Lakers. With Baltimore, he won Rookie of the Year, made All-NBA first team and led the once-dreadful Bullets to the NBA finals in 1971.

On the court, Monroe was a wizard long before the team moved to Washington and changed its nickname.

And then he was gone, packed off to New York, the Bullets’ archrival, following a contract dispute with Baltimore management. Though Monroe played nine years with the Knicks and helped them win an NBA championship, his edge had gone pffft, harnessed by a team that frowned on spontaneity.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Bullet Earl Monroe" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 PM in Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

The Ravens weren’t the only ones who had a rough Sunday.

Of the 40 or so prognosticators at the bar this week, only four had the Patriots winning. Plenty of confidence in the old Balmer team, and you have to respect that, I guess.

Didn’t work out though.

No one correctly predicted a 27-21 Pats win (Never More gets one drink chip for the right score, but the wrong winner).

The closest -- and therefore the winner of the free bar tab this week -- was JTK, who had New England to win, 27-17. Congrats, I suppose.

Since I have never lied to you before (at least that you know of), I have to come clean today. I didn’t watch much of the Ravens game, not enough to be analytical anyway. You see, I have this pesky day job watching another professional sports team in Baltimore.

Yes, there is one.

So I basically know what happened on Sunday in New England -- I know about Jared Gaither and Mark Clayton‘s drop and the referees' spots. But I don’t know the big picture stuff. Like, specifically, what ultimately cost them the game.

That’s where you come in. It’s time for you to be the analyst (you guys do it in here every week anyway). What did you think went wrong on Sunday?

Was it the game plan? Was it the execution of a particular facet? Or did they just run into a good team that was more desperate to win?

Daily Think Special: What went wrong for the Ravens on Sunday?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:27 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (43)
        

We made it to Friday.

Grab a spot at the bar, snag a cold glass and while I pour give me your prediction for the Ravens-Patriots game this Sunday.

I have a special on the spiked purple Kool-Aid. Because I think the Ravens go into Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and take this one.

I know, I am the guy that predicted a loss to the San Diego Chargers in Week 2. But I am more of a believer now.

That’s not to say I think it will be easy. I’m by no means dismissing the Patriots.

I think Tom Brady will get his share of yards passing and a couple touchdowns. But their running game will be non-existent, and the Ravens’ secondary will come up big at the end.

My call: Ravens 24, Patriots 17.

Ed Reed gets his first touchdown of the season – late in the game – and serves as the hero of the day.

That’s how I see it. I want your thoughts on the fourth Prediction Friday of the season.

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Patriots game.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:50 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

This is not an official poll. The results are haphazard and arguably meaningless.

What did you expect? I mean, it’s not even a real bar. But if you are truly disappointed, then I will return your cover charge.

Anyway, I tallied Wednesday’s comments for and against keeping Orioles manager Dave Trembley for 2010.

It was 32 against him, 25 for him and a bunch that commented around the specific question without giving a definite answer (I’m cool with that, too. We don’t judge at Connolly’s).

The point is it was close. An argument can be made each way.

I guess my contention is that those who criticize Trembley’s in-game moves are missing the big picture. Oftentimes, he is replacing one reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors with another reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors.

He is pinch-hitting a kid who won’t be in the big leagues in two years with a veteran who won’t be in the big leagues in two years.

OK, I’m exaggerating a bit, but the guy doesn’t have enough quality personnel to allow us to properly evaluate his managerial skills on a daily basis. Are there things he has done I disagree with? Absolutely. But are his mistakes so rampant that it proves he can’t manage at this level? Nope.

I keep him for 2010. And one of the reasons is I don’t know who should be his replacement. Or, I should say, what kind of manager should replace him.

Today I don’t want to get into the names of potential replacements. Trembley still has his job, and it would be disrespectful to start clamoring for another candidate.

But I want to know this: What type of manager should lead the Orioles in 2010?

What’s funny is that the Orioles have tried all kinds of prototypes in the past decade: There was the veteran who would force accountability onto the players (Ray Miller), the proven winner (Mike Hargrove), the fresh-faced hot commodity (Lee Mazzilli), the players’ manager (Sam Perlozzo) and the nurturing development guy (Trembley).

How did those work out?

What’s left is the hard-(nosed) disciplinarian -- which is usually a disaster for young teams. No doubt some Orioles could use a good benching when they don’t give 100 percent. But let’s see how that disciplinarian keeps the clubhouse when this team is losing 90 in 2010 and the veteran leaders are grousing about being treated like rookies. (Remember, the 2009 player is much different than the ones Earl Weaver terrorized in 1970.)

Again, I think it is a lot more about the personnel than the manager right now.

But I want to hear what personality type you want in your next manager. And I want to see how that differs from what Trembley brings to the table. Or what Sammy P brought. Or Mazz or Grover or Rabbit.

Daily Think Special: What type of manager do the Orioles need for 2010?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:22 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (89)
        

We have officially made it to the last week of the Orioles season.

And I am ready to address the elephant in the barroom.

It’s really a two-headed pachyderm.

Will Orioles manager Dave Trembley be fired at season’s end?

Should he be?

My colleagues at The Sun, columnists Peter “The Promised Land’s Ugly American” Schmuck and Kevin “Cat Hater” Cowherd give their differing opinions in Wednesday’s edition. If I were you, I’d check it out.

Now, I am weighing in as well.

I have been waffling on the first question during the past month, and now, as the Orioles are hideously stumbling to the finish line, I’m leaning toward the belief that Trembley will be fired. It’s tough to survive a 100-loss season (or something real close).

The second question I have answered consistently all year: No, Trembley shouldn’t be fired. He didn’t put this team together. He didn’t assemble the bullpen. He didn’t ask for several of his best veteran players to be dealt away or shelved with injuries.

Trembley did what he could with this mess of a roster. Like those before him -- Sam Perlozzo, Lee Mazzilli, Mike Hargrove -- he was handcuffed the moment he said, ‘I do.”

You can make the argument that Trembley has done a better job than those mentioned above. Because, collectively, he probably had less talent to work with, and, for the most part, the players haven’t openly turned against him.

Sure, Trembley made some lineup and pitching moves that could be questioned. But that’s the beauty of baseball. None of us is under the same pressure as the manager and yet we can second-guess his decisions.

The biggest criticism of Trembley is that his players failed miserably when it came to mastering the fundamentals. Yet Trembley’s teams practiced fundamentals more during the season than any other group I have covered. Whose fault is that?

Some of Trembley’s biggest critics within the clubhouse are the same guys who failed to do their job this year. But as the old adage goes, "You can’t fire 25 players."

The only reason to can Trembley now is to change the ever-present “culture of losing.” Yet whoever takes over almost certainly will have to suffer through another terrible season next year. And then that person will be caught in the undercurrent of losing as well. And the cycle, the criticism will continue.

That is until the club has enough horses to compete with the big boys in the AL East. That could be coming, but it isn’t here yet. And won’t arrive next year.

So until then, it doesn’t matter who the manager is. Therefore, it seems unfair to ship out Trembley now to pay for the sins of past regimes.

That’s my $2.02. Give me yours.

Daily Think Special: Would you fire Dave Trembley? Why or why not?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:37 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (78)
        

Now, that one was easy.

I know there were several of you that were slightly worried that the Ravens could experience a letdown against an inferior Cleveland Browns team.

They did; they allowed a field goal. They should be ashamed.

Seriously, the final was 34-3, more of a blowout than most of you blowout predictors had anticipated (including myself).

Drew Johnston gets a free drink chip for his 34-6 prediction. Ed gets one, too, for his 31-3 guess.

They aren’t the big winners, though. This week’s free (and fake) bar tab goes to Tay Dizzle, and not just because he has a cool name.

Tay Dizzle went with 31-3, Ravens. But he also called the tiebreaker, predicting Willis McGahee would be the hero of the game. Drew and Ed were thinking running back, but went with Ray Rice.

Plenty of heroes on Sunday, but McGahee ran for two TDs and nearly 10 yards a carry.

So drink up Tay Dizzle.

As for the rest of you, I have a simple question: Are the Ravens this good?

They are 3-0 and look much improved offensively. Their defense is still fierce against the run, and perhaps their pass defense – four picks Sunday – is getting it together.

I know any NFL team can beat any other on any Sunday, but, be honest. Even the most pessimistic Ravens’ fan had to expect the team to be 2-1, at the worst, at this point. And the San Diego Chargers, with their injuries last week, weren’t as good as everyone expected heading into the season.

So the real test comes next week, when the Ravens travel to New England. If they can beat the Patriots, and then the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings, they would head into the bye week 6-0 and arguably be considered the NFL’s best team in 2009.

That will be the week to truly evaluate. But what about now? Are the Ravens as good as they have looked so far? Or is their unblemished record more of a by-product of the teams they have played.

I am thinking it’s a combination of both.

Daily Think Special: Are the Ravens this good?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 4:21 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (56)
        

I am officially south of the border now.

I’m not buying fireworks or anything, just home from Toronto.

Just in time for Prediction Friday.

I won’t be going against the patrons this week. Consider me happily in the majority.

I don’t see the Ravens having a letdown Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. And partially that’s because I don’t think much of the Browns. (And as an Irish Catholic I am biologically obligated to support Brady Quinn in his endeavors.)

Really, even a Jonathan Ogden-sized letdown shouldn’t be enough for the Ravens to drop one at home to the Browns.

But it is the NFL, so I guess you can never say never.

Still, I’m predicting a 24-6 Ravens win. My hero of the game is Ed Reed, who snags two interceptions, and returns one for a touchdown.

Am I off? Did I jinx your beloved purple and black?

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Browns game.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:18 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

I am finishing up at Rogers Centre – I can call it Skydome in a blog, thankfully -- after the Orioles were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays in an amazingly forgettable three-game series.

There is truly only one highlight from this series.

Matt Wieters hit an absolute bomb against Scott Richmond that hit the façade just under the club-level seating in right field. They don’t give estimates in Toronto – and I am not smart enough to do the conversion anyway – but trust me, it was crushed.

There was so much buzz about Wieters when he arrived that his slow start at the plate and behind it made it seem like he was a disappointment.

But the kid has heated up in a big way.

After two hits Wednesday, he now is batting .290 with eight homers and 38 RBIs. He’s also made some great throws to second recently.

He has hit safely in 15 of the 19 games he has played in September and is batting .367 in the month.

He is hitting an outrageous 12-for-22 (.545) since being moved to the third spot in the lineup five games ago.

So I am impressed.

This kid has become a major league hitter before our eyes. Yes, he could exhibit more consistent power, but for a guy in his second pro season it’s a matter of time.

But I know some of you wanted more from Wieters early on. Has your perception changed in the past month or so?

Daily Think Special: What are your impressions of Matt Wieters now?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:17 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (66)
        

She has an island fantasy camp to run this week, a fall wedding -- her own -- to plan, an Olympic hopeful to mentor and a televised holiday show to prep for.

Yet Dorothy Hamill, the figure skater crowned "America's Sweetheart" after her gold medal performance at the 1976 Winter Olympics, still finds time to stop for a phone call to her summer home on Nantucket to catch up.

Although she wasn't a summer camper growing up, Hamill started to get the bug to run a skating camp one year when she was packing her reluctant daughter off to an adventure.

David Hobby/2007 Baltimore Sun file photo

"Alex said, 'I don't want to go to camp' and I'm thinking, 'Well I do,'" says Hamill, laughing. "Baltimore has a great adult skating community and I thought, 'This would be a gas to put together for adults who still want to learn and challenge themselves and not drop off the face of the earth just because they're getting older.'"

She recruited longtime collaborators Nathan Birch and Tim Murphy and added Peter Carruthers, the 1984 Olympic silver medalist in pairs with sister Kitty, and Randy Gardner, who with partner Tai Babilonia won a world title and five national championships.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... Dorothy Hamill" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:00 AM in Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Hey everyone:

Transportation issues have made Monday one heck of a day. So I decided to bang out a bar entry before I got to the ballpark in Toronto.

Therefore, we are going back to football again for Tuesday.

(Quick aside: If I could have one superhero power it would be teleportation. No question in my mind. After sitting for a couple hours in Baltimore rush hour traffic and a few more hours at BWI, I would pay good money to be able to teleport. I’d give up the potential of having X-Ray vision or flying like a bird or superhuman strength if it meant I could just show up where I wanted whenever I wanted.)

OK, back to the real item at hand. And speaking of superheroes.

After the Ravens’ Ray Lewis tackled San Diego Chargers Darren Sproles for a loss with 30 seconds left and fourth down on Sunday, I heard an announcer refer to the game-clincher as possibly the greatest play in Lewis’ career.

I immediately scoffed. Great play, sure. But come on, this is Lewis we are talking about. This is a Hall of Fame career we’re talking about.

No way it was his best ever, right?

Well, after the game, Lewis called it “probably one of the greatest plays of my career because of what we did as a team.”

OK, well he would know.

It got me thinking. In your opinion, what is Lewis’ greatest play? Certainly something from the Ravens’ Super Bowl run qualifies.

I am going with the now famous Eddie George hit that teleported the Titans running back into another zip code. Maybe it didn’t end a game, but it served notice about the force that was Lewis and the Ravens.

Daily Think Special: What is Ray Lewis’ greatest play?

Bonus Think Special: Which superhero power would you most want to possess?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (56)
        

You all were right. I was wrong. I am more than OK with that.

Your Baltimore Ravens are now 2-0 after a 31-26 win at San Diego.

Excellent win. Definitely not an easy one, though.

Most of you said the Ravens would be victorious. A lot of you predicted a blowout.

Both Jeff Orndorff and Ed SoPaFan had the Ravens winning 31-27 and Bob Dana was right there, too, with a 31-24 prediction.

Bob gets a free drink chip and Ed can enjoy a free tab today. But we’ll give the free (and fake) tab for the week to Jeff, who won the tiebreaker by saying Todd Heap would be the hero of the game.

He wasn’t. Willis McGahee deserves that title (with Ray Lewis delivering the biggest play of the game). But Heap caught a TD, and Ed didn’t list a tiebreaker.

So if you can’t follow the fake rules, Ed, you can’t fully reap the fake benefits. It’s probably not his fault, however. Those guys up in York County get confused easily.

Anyway, be thirsty, Jeff. You are a winner at Connolly’s.

Now, to Sunday’s victory. I must be honest, I had other responsibilities and couldn’t watch the Ravens’ game as intently as I would have liked. I saw most of it, but had to listen to some on the radio. So I am even more ill-equipped than normal in my not-so-expert analysis.

But here are three quick observations: 1. The offense really does look like it will be formidable this season. 2. The secondary concerns me even more than it did last week.
3. So long as the offense is for real, this team should win a bucketload of games, because the defense will improve.

I want to hear what you think. Let’s get a good discussion going today among the patrons while I fly to Toronto to watch those other birds of Baltimore.

Daily Think Special: What did you take from Sunday’s Ravens’ win?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:25 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (82)
        

It’s Prediction Friday, people.

You know the drill.

I don’t want to bore you with a lot of useless prose. You don’t read it anyway on Prediction Friday.

It’s all business and dry martinis when it comes to pigskin prognostication.

So give me your prediction for Sunday’s Ravens game in San Diego. I want a score, a winner and who you think will be the game’s hero.

If you get it right, you’ll get lauded at this very site next week.

I am going with a hunch here people. Remember, don’t shoot the bartender. Or at least not until after closing time.

I think this is a knock-down drag-out with a few big plays mixed in.

My prediction: The Chargers win 20-17 with a last-second 51-yarder by Nate Kaeding. I’ll make Kaeding my star of the game, too, for that potential boot.

I know, I am wrong. How dare me.

So set me straight.

Daily Think Special: Predict the Ravens-Chargers outcome and star of the game

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:48 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

OK, let’s be honest.

None of us saw that coming.

Thick 5, Steve and the ubiquitous Anonymous had the Ravens scoring 38 points in Sunday’s opener. No one had the Kansas City Chiefs scoring 24 in what was the second highest scoring game of the day (behind New Orleans thrashing Detroit).

The open bar tab this week goes to Dave, who at 33-14 was at least in the ballpark.

But it certainly wasn’t a blowout, like most of us expected. The opposite in fact. Heck, it was a tied game with three minutes to play.

Yet here is my lasting impression of Sunday’s Ravens’ 38-24 win over the Chiefs: I never thought the Ravens were going to lose. That’s not Monday morning quarterbacking or pure homerism.

And maybe it had something to do with how bad I thought the Chiefs were. But it never struck me that the Ravens would lose that one, even as the score was tied. I was taken aback that it was so close, but didn’t expect them to lose.

And that is a feeling that I didn’t have at the beginning of last season. So that’s what I’ll take from Week 1 of the 2009 NFL season: This team has confidence, and it spills over to the stands.

Here are a few other quick thoughts from Sunday’s Ravens game before I give you the floor. (Disclaimer: I have covered football in the past, but it has been years since I stepped into a NFL locker room. These observations have no insider-info linked to them. If you want true analysis, check out the Sun’s Ravens’ beat stuff, which is excellent.)

It’s nice to see the Ravens can air it out -- and will do so when necessary.

I don’t want to see them get into a shootout with a good NFL team.

Flacco’s no fluke.

Great to see Kelly Gregg back (and Todd Heap, too).

The big play could haunt the defense this year.

Daily Think Special: What’s your lasting thought about Sunday’s Ravens’ win?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:51 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

We’re cracking open the bubbly. And not the cheap stuff either.

This champagne comes all the way from French Lick, Indiana.

Only the best for my patrons.

We’re celebrating because you have made it to our first true, football Prediction Friday of the late summer.

If you are new around here, Prediction Friday is simple. It’s a fiesta and party all wrapped into one.

Basically, the deal is this: Each Friday we share our predictions for the upcoming Ravens game. The one who is closest to the score gets a free drink chip and the adoration of his barkeep and fellow patrons for a full week.

(Neither is worth anything, but this is a fake bar people. What do you expect?)

If you hit it straight on, it’s a free bar tab for a week and your name in Christmas lights over the sports mural on the front wall.

The tiebreaker – if we need one – is if you correctly select the hero of the game (decided at my discretion to give me a better chance of winning).

But since this is the very special week one, we have even more fun and games on tap (bad bar pun). I also need your prediction for the Ravens’ season record.

I’ll keep them and get back to you in January. Last year, almost no one had them over .500. My guess is that changes today. We'll have this run all weekend, and you can make your prediction up until kickoff.

OK, here is my entry: I say the Ravens win 23-6. Todd Heap catches two TDs for hero of the game.

And the Ravens go 11-5 in 2009.

Your turn.

Daily Think Special: Predict the winner and score of Sunday’s Ravens-Chiefs game.

Bonus Think Special: Who will be the hero of the game?

Double Secret Think Special: Predict the Ravens’ record at regular season’s end.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

A few weeks ago, Ravens safety Ed Reed was talking to the media after practice when someone asked him about the white wrist band he was wearing just above his left hand. There was clearly writing on it. We were curious: What did it say? What did it mean?

"It says 'Once I Get The Ball You're At My Mercy,' " Reed with a bit of a shrug. "That's (Michael) Jordan. You know how Jordan was."

Reed is right, of course. I do know how Jordan was.

I know a lot about Michael Jordan, in fact. Even though I was never a big fan. I think Michael Leahy's "When Nothing Else Matters" is one of the best sports books written in the last 20 years, because it really captures Jordan's gifts as well as his flaws. I've seen his ESPN SportsCentury profile countless times. I've read about his kids, his divorce, his business ups and downs, and his bottomless appetite for competition.

But what I don't really know is how Ed Reed is.

Or who he is.

Of course, I know Ed Reed the football player. I know he's probably the most exciting defensive player of my lifetime. I know he has the hands of a wide receiver, the feet of a ballet dancer, and the football brain of Nobel Prize winner. I know he possesses the rarest and least talked about skill in sports: the innate sixth sense of anticipation.

He sees things unfolding before they ever happen. And when he gets the ball in his hands, the other team truly is at his mercy. No defensive player has ever been a greater threat to score than Ed Reed with the ball in his hands.

But as a person, he's a bit of a mystery. I can count on one hand the number of lengthy magazine profiles that have been written about him. I can't imagine anyone ever attempting to write a book about him. And though I don't know for certain, I suspect Reed likes it that way. 

Continue reading "Ravens safety Ed Reed: An Appreciation" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 7:37 PM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

We dipped into the NFL pool on Tuesday.

Let’s jump in feet first today.

I am looking for a breakout Raven (prison jokes not welcome). Could be offense, could be defense, could even be new kicker Steve Hauschka.

Basically, I am looking for this year’s Le’Ron McClain, Jim Leonhard or Joe Flacco.

Players that helped carry the team that you weren’t exactly counting on before the first game. Players that took the biggest leap from one season to the next.

Ray Rice is going to be the popular answer here. I will give you two more: Tavares Gooden and Todd Heap.

Yes, Todd Heap. Yes, I know it is not 2003. Yes, he’s already broken out, but then he broke down.

As Paul of Arlington (free drink chip) predicted in Tuesday’s fantasy football entry, Heap could be a big source of TDs if he is healthy.

A huge if, I get it. But I think he might have one more productive season left in him.

Call me an optimist.

Or call me an idiot. But call me.

Come on Ravens’ fans, I want your breakout Raven for 2009-10.

Daily Think Special: Which Raven (or Ravens) will have a breakout year? Why?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:41 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ..." Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He lives in Upperco, in a weathered old farmhouse on 46 acres that he bought for a song when he retired from football. There’s a sweet spring-fed pond out back full of catfish and bass, a vegetable patch stuffed with sweet corn and beans, and a woodpile large enough to keep the home fires burning all winter.

Fred Miller doesn’t want for much. And if he did, you wouldn’t hear a peep from the 69-year-old tackle, a mainstay on the Baltimore Colts’ defensive line during their heyday.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Miller spent a decade here (1963-72), much of it as defensive captain of the Colts. Though undersized at 250 pounds, he anchored the club’s front four despite chronic back spasms and bum knees that would have sidelined most others.

Baltimore Sun photo by Doug Kapustin

Teammates called Miller "a pro’s pro" and paid heed when he spoke, which wasn’t often.

"Fred never has a bad game, and he’ll never tell you he’s in pain," head coach John Sandusky once said.

Sun file photo

The son of a Louisiana farmer, Miller plowed through enemy lines, dragged down runners and helped the Colts to Super Bowls in 1969 and 1971. Guess which one he’d rather recall.

"The one we won," he said of the Colts’ victory over Dallas in Super Bowl V. "That was one of the hardest hitting games I ever played. The next morning, when I got up for breakfast, I could hardly lift my arms to cut my pancakes. First time that ever happened."

Trouble is, said Miller, "nobody will let us forget the ‘other’ Super Bowl (a loss to the New York Jets two years earlier). Every year, at Super Bowl time, when I turn on the NFL Channel, they’re running that game in its entirety."

That’s when Miller sighs and hits the remote.

"When we lost, we didn’t know it would last forever," he said.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Fred Miller" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

Thursday was an off day for the Orioles, but baseball writers still have to come up with stories.

That and the fact that baseball players make roughly 600 times what we earn in a year are really what separates the professions.

Oh, and the groupies. And the fact we can’t hit curveballs. And don’t have shoe or sunglasses deals.

OK, there is plenty.

Apparently, some of you believe there isn’t much that separates Yankees’ fans and Red Sox fans. It was another interesting debate at the bar Thursday. Some great points and very little name-calling, I like that.

Back to off-day stories. The one I wrote for Friday’s paper is about the possibility that the Orioles could lose 100 games in a season for just the third time in their history.

They did it in 1954 – the first year of the modern-day franchise here – and in 1988, when the club lost 21 straight to begin the season.

And now this year it could happen again. The Orioles (54-80) would have to go 9-19 in their final 28 games to stave off 100 losses. Coincidentally, they were 9-19 in their past 28 games.

So they’ll have to dip a notch below their current scuffling pace, but with a tough final schedule, the loss of center fielder Adam Jones to injury and the eventual shutdown of starters Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz, it’s within reach.

But does it matter? Do you want to see the Orioles avoid 100 losses, or is it just another number in a rough season?

Daily Think Special: Is losing 100 games a big deal to you?

Bonus Think Special: Will the Orioles lose 100?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:40 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (50)
        

OK people, the Yankees fans have gone. It’s safe to come out now.

They have taken their swollen pride and their “Hip, Hip Jor-Heys” and headed back up Interstate 95 for another year.

You only have to suffer through three more Red Sox games at home this month before you can reclaim Camden Yards.

Yeah, that Blue Jays series in October is going to be rocking.

Three-quarters of the park this week was filled with Yankees fans – par for the course these days. They did their thing, too, cheering everything pinstripe. But I’ll stay on record that Yankee fans are much more tolerable in 2009 than Red Sox fans. Not even close.

We’ve done this topic before, and most of you agree with me.

But here’s my question for today: The Yankees and Red Sox are, again, clearly among the best teams in the American League. They’ll both likely make the playoffs, meaning there’s a 50 percent chance one will get to the World Series.

I want to know which is the lesser of the two evils. Right now. In 2009.

Would you rather have the Yankees, who last won a world championship in 2000 but have 26 overall, get to the World Series?

Or would you still rather see it be the Red Sox, who have won two since 2004?

You don’t get an alternative option of swallowing cyanide in late October.

It’s a simple question. Two choices. One painful answer. If you had to choose – and I am making you – who would you rather see win the 2009 World Series?

Daily Think Special: Yankees or Red Sox?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:40 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (71)
        

 Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

Pound for pound, he was the smallest offensive tackle of his day, and maybe the smartest. It wasn’t size but savvy that made Bob Vogel one of football’s top lineman and a pillar of the Baltimore Colts’ storied front wall.

Vogel, the team’s top draft choice in 1963, spent the next decade taming sack packs and clearing paths for Colts’ runners despite a 240-pound frame that even then was underwhelming.

"I wasn’t one of those guys who could lift the stadium," said Vogel, from Ohio State. "I was purely a technician. That’s how I survived."

As a rookie, Vogel was so good that Baltimore shifted tackle Jim Parker, a Hall of Famer, to guard to accommodate him. A five-time Pro Bowler, Vogel helped the Colts to two Super Bowls (III and V) and then retired from the game at the age of 30, his dignity intact.

"I just walked away in 1972 and said, ‘It’s over,’ " said Vogel, 68. "I loved every minute of the game, but it was painful to see so many of my teammates stay too long. They either got hurt, mad, benched or traded. For so many guys, their identity is wrapped up in football. It’s who they are, like Brett Favre. To me, that’s sad."

Vogel traded the mayhem for a more selfless life. Witness the 48 foster children that he and his wife, Andrea, have cared for through the years. Or the prisons that Vogel visits, Good Book in hand, in a bid to turn inmates’ lives around. Or the mission trips he makes regularly to places like Honduras and Cuba, to bring health care to the poor.

"Football was a good experience, but this is the Lord’s will for my life," said Vogel, of Sunbury, Ohio.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Bob Vogel" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He hit the Orioles’ first-ever home run at Camden Yards in 1992, but that poke is long forgotten. What Baltimore fondly recalls of Mike Devereaux is his game-winning homer in the summer of 1989 during the Orioles’ improbable pennant run

By the All-Star break, those Birds seemed a team of destiny, a rag-tag bunch that could do no wrong. Devereaux proved that. On July 15, in a game fixed in the minds of Orioles’ fans, the rookie slammed a walk-off, two-run homer that curled around the left-field foul pole at Memorial Stadium and gave the home team an 11-9 comeback victory over California.

If ever a moment defined a season, that was it. Devereaux’s hit triggered celebrations among the 47,000 fans at Memorial Stadium and howls of protest from the Angels, who claimed the ball was foul. For days, TV showed replays of the homer. Fair or foul? Twenty years later, it’s still the question most often asked of Devereaux when he returns to Baltimore.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Mike Devereaux" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (28)
        

This week, I’ve been at Tropicana Field, home of the inspiring Tampa Bay Rays and the annoying cowbell.

That’s what these fans in St. Pete do when they want their boys to rally. They shake their cowbells.

Who would have thought there would be such a thing as too much cowbell?

It’s not the most annoying cheer (or cheering apparatus) in baseball, however. The tomahawk chop in Atlanta is pretty irritating, and it didn’t even start with the Braves. So it’s stolen and annoying.

I actually think the rally monkey in Anaheim is somewhat entertaining. And I guess I can deal with the “Let’s Go Red Sox” and “Let’s Go Yankees” chants, even when they are in Camden Yards.

The wave, however, I can absolutely do without. I’d rather take a Justin Verlander fastball in the noggin than participate in the wave. If the Orioles want me out of the press box, all they have to do is institute a mandatory wave, and I am history.

The wave, to me, is the worst fan act/cheer in all of sports. Hate it.

There I’ve gotten that off my chest.

Now, more cowbell.

Daily Think Special: What is the most annoying fan cheer/act in sports?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:41 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (66)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... "  Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With  ... "

It has been 30 years since he starred on the mound, a master of comic relief for the Orioles. Was there ever a closer like Don Stanhouse, the big righthander with the Harpo Marx hair, the wacky demeanor and a knack for making every save an adventure?

The stopper for Baltimore’s 1979 American League champions, Stanhouse won 7 of 10 games, saved 21 more and compiled a 2.85 earned run average. But it was the way he pitched – creating a jam, then escaping it – that drove Orioles manager Earl Weaver nuts.

"He (Weaver) would bring me in, then disappear down the tunnel and start chain-smoking his Raleighs," recalled Stanhouse, who was nicknamed "Fullpack" for that reason.

In the AL playoffs, with the Orioles enjoying a 9-4 lead over California, Weaver summoned his frizzy-haired All-Star in the ninth. Stanhouse promptly surrendered four runs before ending the game with the bases full.

Later, asked why he hadn’t yanked Stanhouse, Weaver replied, "I still had three cigarettes left."

Acquired in 1978, Stanhouse perked up the Orioles’ clubhouse with his quirky looks, offbeat antics and a panache right out of Woodstock.

"I’m pretty on the inside," he’d say. "When they took X-rays of my head, they found flowers."

Continue reading "Catching Up With . . . former Oriole Don Stanhouse" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Aubrey Huff is no longer an Oriole.

We knew it would happen eventually, but now it won’t drag into the offseason.

Huff was the club’s MVP in 2008, which was one of the more tumultuous seasons a player has had in an Orioles uniform (not including the disaster known as 2005).

From his offseason radio antics and “Baltimore is a horse---- town” comments to being booed on Opening Day to becoming the club’s best hitter in 2008, it was a whirlwind for Huff.

Honestly, I appreciated the way Huff handled himself last year – no pun intended – and he became one of the best Orioles to deal with. He’s funny and never took himself or the game too seriously. So, yeah, he’ll definitely be missed within the clubhouse.

That said, I think trading him for a relief prospect – right-hander Brett Jacobson, the Detroit Tigers’ fourth-rounder last year out of Vanderbilt University – makes sense.

Huff turns 33 in December, is a free agent and isn’t part of the club’s future. The only way the Orioles would have gotten compensatory draft picks for him would have been to offer arbitration this offseason.

And given Huff’s production this year coupled with the uncertain effect of a down economy on free agency, it was possible Huff would have accepted arbitration. And that would have stuck the Orioles with an $8 million-plus first baseman, who potentially would be blocking prospect Brandon Snyder.

So give the Orioles and club president Andy MacPhail credit for being proactive and getting something for Huff.

And here’s hoping Huff gets to the playoffs for the first time in his career and does well. He deserves it.

That’s my take. What’s yours?

Daily Think Special: What’s your take on the Aubrey Huff trade?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:30 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (55)
        

The Orioles have dropped two of three at home to the perpetually rebuilding, financially challenged Oakland A’s.

The Ravens start their exhibition season today against their Redskins.

I’m thinking it’s bad timing for the Orioles to continue another August swoon (they are 3-9 this month).

Of course, it’s been bad timing for more than a decade.

But we will persevere here with the Orioles at Connolly’s, at least until the regular NFL season starts.

Because I really don’t care if Troy Smith or Ray Rice looks good in August.

Instead, I want to know what’s bothering you the most about the Orioles right now. The good news is that there is plenty to choose from.

The baserunning continues to be embarrassing. The starting pitching is young and susceptible to ugly innings. The relief corps is dragging from overuse. The defense is solid but unspectacular.

And the offense, you know, the strength of this team, has been on summer vacation. In their past eight games, the Orioles have scored more than three runs once.

Sure, it can be deflating when you are in a big hole early. But this is an offense fronted by some big-salaried players. And it hasn’t been good since the first two months of the season.

Still, some of you may be so angered by the baserunning that nothing can top it for your disdain. What’s the worst of the worst?

Daily Think Special: Which facet of the Orioles’ performance bothers you the most?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:13 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (148)
        

Just got back from Detroit, where the Orioles left me on Thursday.

They went on to Canada, but I stayed in this country. Something about “past felonies” and “international incidents” that I really don’t want to detail here (just kidding, mom, just kidding).

Actually, I stayed the weekend in Detroit on my own free will. Seriously.

My brother and his family live in Central Michigan, and so my brother and my 18-year-old nephew met me in Detroit and we hung out for two days.

I went back to Comerica on Friday as a regular old Dan and watched the Tigers and Twins play. And this just in, Joe Mauer is good.

I might have misspelled the Twins catcher’s last name. I think I left out a V and a P in Joe M’s last name.

He’s got my vote, and not just because he was about six inches from going 5-for-5 in the game I saw Friday night.

We also went to the old State Theatre (the Fillmore Detroit now) on Saturday and saw Chickenfoot live. If you aren’t familiar with the band itself, you certainly are familiar with its musicians.

Chickenfoot features Sammy Hagar as the lead singer, Van Halen’s Michael Anthony on bass, guitar god Joe Satriani on lead and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith on drums.

Satriani’s guitar playing was worth the price of admission (and it wasn’t cheap) and Hagar, at age 62 believe it or not, can still scream with the best of them. He jumped, rolled and leaped – and never broke a hip the whole night.

Chickenfoot’s new CD is fine (a must-have if you miss Van Hagar), but their live show is the reason this group is together. Not normally my cup of tea now that I’m an old guy, but it was definitely something to check out.

Given the crowd – old rocker chicks and balding, paunchy dudes mixed in with some 20-somethings – it was definitely a flashback night.

And since the Orioles, kings of the flashback, are celebrating the 1989 “Why Not?” season Orioles throughout this year, I figured we’d continue the theme on a Monday.

I loved that 1989 team because I was in college in Pennsylvania and the year before had to endure the ignominy of the 0-21 Orioles. So that 1989 season was a reward for loyal Orioles fans (just imagine your reward when this club finally gets good).

Of all of those players that burst on the scene that year, I’d say my favorite was Pete Harnisch. The guy had “guts.” Damn that rusty nail.

Who was your favorite 1989 Oriole? And what was your most memorable moment from that season?

Daily Think Special: Who/what do you remember the most from the 1989 “Why Not?” season?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (60)
        

We had great response Thursday on which pitcher would emerge as the Orioles’ ace for 2011, so I figured we’d do something similar again today.

But we’ll focus on the bullpen this time.

Now that George Sherrill has been traded, Jim Johnson is your newly anointed closer, though he has not had a save opportunity since the Sherrill deal.

Johnson certainly has the stuff to take on the role, but he hasn’t done it since high school.

Chris Ray has struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery but is looking better now. And pitchers are usually better in the second season after elbow surgery.

Kam Mickolio has nasty stuff and is 10-feet-tall, so he would certainly strike an imposing figure in the ninth.

Cla Meredith has a funky delivery and is a tested late-inning guy.

And my wild card is Koji Uehara, who has been a closer previously in Japan.

I don’t want to know who you think will start the season as the club’s closer next year. That’s child’s play. I want to know who you think will be most effective.

Daily Think Special: Who will be the Orioles’ saves leader in 2010?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (41)
        

Sorry the bar was dark for a weekday.

Something about a rat and a wire and a “potential fire hazard.”

No worries.

To old business first: We didn’t have an on-the-nose prediction of Brian Matusz’s debut line Tuesday, which was 5 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks and a win.

But we had some close ones. Free drink chips to Alex D, Rob K, Jason and Matt.

And a free bar tab for the day goes to Dave who predicted 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BBs, 4 Ks and a win.

He was off by a walk, a strikeout and two runs. That’s pretty good.

I had the pleasure of covering Matusz’s debut in Detroit (and really all of the debuts this year) and my take is basically what Dave Trembley was screaming from the rooftops in the Motor City on Tuesday night.

Matusz is the real deal. He has four solid pitches that he can throw for strikes. And he’ll throw any one of them in any count.

He’s also an extremely impressive guy off the mound. He’s very mature and polished in interviews and has a genuine friendliness about him.

In spring training, while getting our first real looks at the young pitchers, O’s beat writer Jeff Zrebiec and I knocked around which one would eventually emerge as the best. After some deliberation, Jeff said Matusz and I said Chris Tillman.

One scout I know said it would be Jake Arrieta. Brad Bergesen and David Hernandez weren’t in the conversation. And Jason Berken wasn’t even at camp.

Now, we’ve seen all but Arrieta pitch in the big leagues. I am sticking with my Tillman prediction, because he is the youngest, has pitched the most at Triple-A and because if he can get some more movement on, and a little better command of, his fastball, he is going to be downright nasty. His curveball and changeup are already plus pitches.

But it’s hard to go against Zrebiec’s gut call after seeing Matusz in Detroit.

I want to know your thoughts. But I am putting a specific timeline on it. Forget about now and even next year. Who will be the club’s best pitcher starting in 2011?

Daily Think Special: Who will be the Orioles’ ace in 2011?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (61)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sports reporter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ..." Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

Colts receiver Jimmy Orr catches a third touchdown pass against the Rams during a game in 1964. (Baltimore Sun photo Paul Hutchins)

They called it Orrsville, that patch of paydirt in the Baltimore Colts’ end zone where No. 28 plied his trade. How many teams were buried there, in the closed end of Memorial Stadium, beaten by a scoring pass to the elusive Jimmy Orr?

"I must have caught 45 or 50 touchdowns in that right corner," said Orr, a favorite Colts receiver in the 1960s. "It was sloped some, a little downhill, which helped me, speed-wise. I wasn’t all that fast."

But Orr had sure hands and he ran smart routes, which made him All-Pro -- and the club’s deep threat for much of his 10 years with the Colts. In 1968, at an age when his legs should have quit, he led the NFL with an average of 25.6 yards per catch. Orr was 33 at the time.

Fans loved the tough, cigar-smoking flanker with the southern drawl, who played and partied hard. Injured during a close game in 1965, Orr was hurried to the hospital at halftime for X-rays.

"There were 17 people ahead of me in the emergency room at Union Memorial," Orr said. "But they had the game on the radio and when someone recognized me, all of those people sent me to the front of the line."

Told he had a shoulder separation, Orr shrugged and returned to the ballpark for the final quarter. When he trotted onto the field from the Orioles’ dugout, "a roar built until it just about lifted Memorial Stadium off the ground," The Sun reported.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Jimmy Orr" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:00 AM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

This one is going to take some deep soul searching.

You are going to have to be honest with yourself and your fellow Connolly patrons.

The Orioles have had some seriously anticipated big league debuts this year.

There was Koji Uehara and then Brad Bergesen. Nolan Reimold followed, and then it was Jason Berken, David Hernandez and Matt Wieters.

Chris Tillman’s turn came Wednesday and now it looks like Brian Matusz’s shot is Tuesday in Detroit. I’ll be there, and I’ll make sure we chat about my/your observations on that one.

I don’t think I have covered as many anticipated Orioles debuts in the past eight years as I have this season.

For the record, according to Baseball America, the Orioles’ first (Wieters), second (Tillman), third (Matusz), fifth (Reimold), 10th (Kam Mickolio) 16th (Hernandez), 17th (Berken), and 18th (Bergesen) prospects are up in the majors.

It’s funny, given what we have seen, that Bergesen is the lowest-rated among the group heading into this year. But his debut had some hype around it, too, since he was the organization’s Pitcher of the Year in 2008.

I am wondering who you were most excited to see this year.

I’m assuming the answer is Wieters, simply because of the hype throughout baseball surrounding him.

But there was definitely a whole lot of buzz around Koji’s and Tillman’s debuts. And Matusz’s has some cache since it was the most unexpected, given that this is his first year as a pro.

I want to know the top three Orioles debuts you were/are most excited about in 2009.

Daily Think Special: Whose Orioles debut excited you the most? Rank your top three.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

I’m back, a day after leaving you high, and more important, dry for a day.

Sorry, things have gotten a little out of control the past couple days. I was hoping to check out Pete Yorn down at the Ram’s Head this week, but duty called. (If there is anyone out there who saw him, let me know how it went. I’m a musical sucker for singer/songwriters from New Jersey).

I’ve been pretty busy with the news that the Orioles are leaving Fort Lauderdale and moving to Sarasota for the upcoming spring (and the 29 after that).

I’ve only been to Sarasota once and it was for a Josh Hamilton press conference and a game. So I wasn’t exactly hanging out at the beach or anything. I hear it’s a nice area – and I also hear it’s not Lauderdale.

From a selfish standpoint, I am sort of torn. I have spent parts of the past nine winters/springs in Lauderdale, and I knew the place pretty well.

I had my favorite restaurant, favorite dive bar, favorite pizza place and a joint where I could get my hair cut. I was all set. But the flip side is that there were no other teams close to Lauderdale. So we spent a huge chunk of our time driving up Interstate 95 or across Alligator Alley, and I won’t miss that.

From Sarasota, you can reach about six parks in the time it takes to get from Lauderdale to Fort Myers. And that will be great.

From an organizational standpoint, this is something the Orioles had to do. They’ll basically be getting a state-of-the-art facility after one year at Ed Smith Stadium. An easy penance considering the dump they played in back in Lauderdale. And they won’t have to pay any of the primary start-up costs for the new place.

More important, they’ll have their minor-league and major-league camps located in one town. That is a huge improvement over the three-hour drive between the two camps. Now, veterans can go over to the minors if they need some extra work and the youngsters can come over to get a taste of big-league camp.

So overall, it’s a great move for the Orioles, even if part of me will miss my favorite blackened mahi mahi sandwich in Lauderdale.

But I wonder if you, Orioles fans, care. I know those of you in Florida do, but what about the rest of you? Did you go to spring training? Will you again now that it isn’t based in Lauderdale? Does the season start for you only when the club comes north?

Daily Think Special: Do you care that the Orioles are leaving Lauderdale? Why or why not?

Bonus Think Special: For those of you that know Florida, what’s Sarasota like?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:30 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (49)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

Forty-five years ago, he was baseball’s boy wonder, a pitching phenom who, as a teenager, nearly fetched the 1964 Orioles a pennant.

Then Wally Bunker was gone. Overnight, or so it seemed, he vanished, done in by a bum right arm that finished his career almost as quickly as it had begun. The Orioles’ stopper at 19, he quit the game at 26.

Bitter? Not Bunker.

"No complaints," he said from his home in Ridgeland, S.C. "Playing baseball was magnificent, a dream come true. I was definitely really good, with a great sinker, but ... what can you do? I walked away in 1971, entered the real world and never touched a ball again."

1968 Baltimore Sun file photo by Paul Hutchins

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Wally Bunker" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I am flying back to the bar Monday afternoon, and I am hoping I recognize the place.

I’m sure the “In Oscar We Trust” banner is no longer hanging over the bar.

I’m curious to get your thoughts on Sunday’s Oscar Salazar trade to the San Diego Padres for reliever Cla Meredith.

Basically, this is my take on the minor deal: Salazar is a tremendous guy, perhaps one of the nicest in the Orioles’ 2009 clubhouse (and there is a bunch of good guys in there).

He is a great story. He played in Italy, Mexico, etc., and never gave up his big-league dream. And he can flat-out hit.

But a 31-year-old pinch hitter/DH with limited defensive skills is not a good fit for a rebuilding club that’s jammed at the corners.

It’s possible he goes to San Diego – or somewhere else – gets a full-time chance and succeeds. I couldn’t be happier for the guy if that happens.

He just didn’t have a spot here. Like it or not, Melvin Mora is the Orioles’ third baseman for now. He has a no-trade clause and is still owed millions for this season. Cutting him outright with two months on his contract to find a spot for Salazar, who may not be able to play third effectively, seems like a harsh end for your most tenured Oriole.

Cutting Felix Pie, who is just 24 --younger than Nolan Reimold, for instance – also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

So dealing Salazar – a guy who anyone could have had for free this winter – for a 26-year-old major-league reliever with a minor-league option was about as good as the Orioles could have done.

Meredith’s presence in the bullpen also makes it a little easier to deal Danys Baez or even George Sherrill this month. Think of Meredith as a poor (and young) man’s version of Chad Bradford.

Yes, it’s a very minor deal. But if Meredith ends up being a solid member of the bullpen for a couple years, it will be a solid, understated move. I wish Salazar luck, and I give Andy MacPhail credit for getting some value for Salazar.

Daily Think Special: What’s your take on the Oscar Salazar deal?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:41 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

Before we get into today’s topic, I just want to point out that there actually was discussion in the bar Wednesday on the attractiveness of a British Prime Minister.

Now that is good reading. You don’t get that kind of perverse diversity at a place like “The Schmuck Stops Here.” I’m just saying.

We’re smaller, but we can kick it up a notch when needed.

OK, to real topics in a fake establishment.

Today is the day you have been waiting for: The Orioles’ Least Valuable Player of the First Half Award.

It would be easy to give it to the long departed Adam Eaton or Ryan Freel. That’s too easy. I am sure Felix Pie will get some votes, but the expectations shouldn’t have been high for the 24-year-old. He’s still trying to learn at the big-league level.

You can interpret a LVP anyway you want. But I look at it this way: Guys like Eaton and Freel weren’t really supposed to be particularly valuable. So they didn’t do well, but their failure delivered no shockwaves.

On the other hand, there is starter Jeremy Guthrie. He was the team’s best pitcher last year. He is the ace – by default, I understand, but still the ace.

In the first half he yielded 20 homers, among the most in the majors. His struggles are about as confounding as anything that’s happened this season. He was 6-8 with a 5.35 ERA in 18 starts – pretty much the epitome of mediocrity.

Keep in mind, several Oriole pitchers have worse numbers.

But honestly, more is expected out of Guthrie –by the front office, the media, the fans and most important, by Guthrie himself. I’m not sure he’d be offended to know he was considered the first half Least Valuable Oriole. He might bristle – the guy can bristle with the best of them – but deep down I think he gets that more is expected of him than a 5.35 ERA and a losing record.

And that’s why I say he’s the LVP of the first half. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up having a very solid second half. Because I can’t see Guthrie settling for mediocrity.

This, though, is about the first half only.

Daily Think Special: Who is the Orioles’ Least Valuable Player so far?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (74)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

At 81, Stu Miller has finally reached the age where his changeup is slower than when he pitched for the Orioles.

Has anyone ever thrown such lazy lobs with such success? Miller’s soft offerings baffled hitters for 16 years and made him one of the top relief pitchers in Orioles’ history.

A wisp of a player, Miller was already 35 when Baltimore acquired him from San Francisco in 1963. For the next five years, the 5-foot-9 righthander flummoxed American League sluggers and anchored a bullpen which ranked among the best.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Stu Miller" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With  ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He still has the wild, shaggy locks that once swept beneath his Orioles cap, except the hair is now streaked with gray. And he hasn’t gained a pound in 30 years, though age has caused some seismic shifts.

"My weight is proportionately different from when I played," said Gary Roenicke, 54. "Gravity takes over."

Has it been three decades since Roenicke’s bat and glove helped the Orioles to an American League flag in 1979 and, four years later, to a World Series title? The man known as "Rhino" hit 106 home runs for Baltimore, played stellar defense and accepted his position as a role player – though he sure didn’t like it.

Roenicke still works for the club, as a full-time scout. And, no, he doesn’t share the job with John Lowenstein, the left fielder with whom Roenicke platooned for much of his eight years in Baltimore.

That two-headed monster, the brainstorm of Orioles manager Earl Weaver, blossomed in 1982 when the right-handed Roenicke and Lowenstein, a lefty, combined for 45 homers and 140 RBI, while batting .292.

Publicly, Roenicke shrugged off his part-time role.

"How can you argue when you’re winning?" he said. "But if I could change anything, I probably would have asked why I didn’t play a little more."   

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Gary Roenicke" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 7:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

The Boston Red Sox have left town. I saw the bandwagon lights heading up I-95.

We can joke all we want, but even after that incredible comeback Tuesday, the Orioles are just 1-6 against the Red Sox this season. And so it goes in this Groundhog’s Day at Camden Yards.

At least I can try to serve you a little spirit-lifter today.

Let’s talk about the Orioles who have played well this first half.

On Sunday, the All-Star rosters will be announced. The Orioles will get one representative, like they have in seven of the last eight years. It likely will be either center fielder Adam Jones or closer George Sherrill.

Both are fine choices – despite Sherrill’s rough outing Wednesday. Don’t forget the guy had only allowed one run in his past 21 innings before his Red Sox meltdown.

Given how tough it is to juggle All-Star rosters, outfield and the pitching staff are logical spots that need to be filled.  So that’s probably where Tampa’s Joe Maddon will go.

But is that who you would select? What about setup man Jim Johnson or DH Luke Scott or right fielder Nick Markakis?

Remember, this is regardless of position. Choose the Oriole who is most deserving.

Daily Think Special: Which Oriole most deserves to be an All-Star?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:05 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

This is when a bar owner gets into trouble.

This is when you have to worry that the liquor license might get revoked.

Can you imagine how loud it was in the bar Tuesday night when the Orioles rallied for the greatest comeback in their 55-year history?

You people woke up the Sleeping Baby Sallys in the Toy Department.

The cops came twice, and eventually gave up crowd control after the eighth.

I now have to suspend the backup bartenders for letting you all stay well past 2.

Heck, maybe it was worth it.

To be honest, I had another entry prepared for today. It wasn’t particularly positive, either. But I tossed it away. Sort of like the Red Sox bullpen Tuesday night.

So this one will be short and sweet – for you Orioles fans anyway.

This is primarily for those of you who stayed up to watch the Orioles rally from a 10-1 deficit in the seventh to beat Boston 11-10. But we won’t ignore the rest of you who went to sleep either. Some people have real jobs.

For those that stuck it out:

Daily Think Special: When did you believe the Orioles actually had a chance?

And for the rest of you:

Bonus Think Special: Where does Tuesday night rank among the best regular season wins in Orioles’ history?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:48 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (42)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

It happens every time Double-A Bowie hosts New Britain (Conn.) in an Eastern League game. Someone in the stands points out the visitors’ stubby hitting coach and the cry goes up.

"Hey there, Sugar Bear!"

Floyd Rayford smiles, saunters over and signs autographs.

More than 20 years after he last played for Baltimore, Rayford remains a crowd favorite.

"Orioles fans never forget," he said.

How could they? In the 1980s, few players won more hearts over than Rayford, the roly-poly, self-effacing utility player who looked like he’d never met a push-up. Yet he stuck in the big leagues for seven years, six of them with the Orioles, who could plug him into four positions – first base, second, third and catcher – without missing a beat.

Floyd Rayford doing a commercial for the Baltimore Symphony in 1984. (Baltimore Sun file photo by Irving H. Phillips)

"I never had a great body, but it was suitable to play everywhere," said Rayford. "I liked catching best. I was too busy back there to be nervous. It wasn’t like playing third base. There’s no time to get butterflies when you’re catching."

His hitting was unremarkable, save for 1985 when he hit 18 home runs and batted .306.

The reason?

"I got divorced in mid-season," Rayford said. "I thought, ‘Hell, I’ve got to pay her every month so I better start hitting.’ Alimony can be a tremendous motivator."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Oriole Floyd Rayford" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 8:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I had a great weekend, or at least an incredibly strong Saturday.

Went to my favorite annual book sale on Saturday afternoon and picked up about 30 titles for roughly $40. Nice haul.

I got some novels I had been eyeing and a few sports books, including compilations by Red Smith and Shirley Povich.

Then, in the evening, my wife and several of my journalism buddies saw my favorite band, the Old 97s, at the Recher Theatre. Love those guys (the Old 97s, not my journalism buddies).

Sunday, though, it was back to work at the old ballpark. And let’s just say my Saturday was a whole lot better than Orioles catcher Matt Wieters' Sunday.

The phenom went hitless in three at-bats, made his third throwing error in four games and dropped a ball to wipe out what would have been a sure out at the plate.

Afterward, Wieters was typically calm -- saying he’s working on his defense, and he’s not worried about a bad game.

This kid really is the whole package.

But, here’s the funny thing: The way things are going right now, Wieters (.234 average, two homers, six RBIs) is not the Orioles’ best candidate for Rookie of the Year. Outfielder Nolan Reimold (.286, 9 homers, 20 RBIs) is, with pitcher Brad Bergesen (5-2, 3.76 ERA) also ahead of the backstop.

The BBWAA doesn’t vote until the end of the season, however, and Wieters will eventually catch fire at the plate. Count on that.

So here is my question: When the dust settles on 2009, who will be the Orioles’ leading Rookie of the Year votegetter?

Will Wieters make a surge? Will Reimold or Bergesen falter?

Get your prognostication caps on people.

Daily Think Special: Which Oriole will finish highest in AL Rookie of the Year voting?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:10 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

Orioles first-round draft pick Matt Hobgood, 18, a hard-throwing right-hander out of Norco High in suburban Los Angeles, signed his contract and was introduced at a news conference tonight at Camden Yards. Hobgood, the fifth overall pick in the draft, received a signing bonus of $2.42 million and will report to Rookie-level Bluefield tomorrow. Here are some things you ought to know about him:

•  Hobgood hates to lose. At anything.

"I get competitive playing a game of Monopoly," he said. "When my (younger) sisters and I play this auto racing game on PlayStation 2, I let them get ahead and then I crush ‘em.

"I like to mess with people, let them think they’re beating me and then go after them. Sometimes in baseball I’ll get a little wild, walk a couple of guys and then tell myself, ‘You’ve got to get it done.’ Then I’ll strike out three people."

•  Hobgood likes to eat. Almost anything.

"I’ve seen him take fourth and fifth servings at a buffet," said D.J. Wood, his best friend from high school. "Matt is a big dude and he can freakin’ eat.

"Once, while hanging out at my house, he said, ‘Dude, I’m hungry.’ So he opened a family-sized box of Fruity Pebbles and had a bowl. Then we went upstairs to watch TV.

"A while later, Matt went back downstairs to get a glass of water. When he didn’t come back, I went down to find the cereal box in the trash and the gallon of milk almost empty. He’d scarfed down the whole thing in five minutes."

Continue reading "Five fun facts about Matt Hobgood" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 4:00 PM in Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Just watched the Orioles play the Washington Nationals on Friday night.

And know this Orioles fans: You don’t have it the worst. Not even close.

Puff out your chests and feel good about your old ballclub for a moment.

The Nats really do look as bad as advertised. Heading into Saturday, they are 21-50, that’s a .296 winning percentage. That’s under .300 ball, people.

The Nats are no longer on pace to challenge the 1962 New York Mets, who finished 40-120. But they are still within striking distance.

Some of you may not like Washington DC – you’ve mentioned that on occasion -- but you have to feel a little bad for the Nats’ fan base. I know I feel terrible for Manny Acta, the Nationals manager and one of the classiest men in a baseball uniform. He just doesn’t have a chance with this roster.

Empathy aside, we can still speculate on just how bad the Nats will be come September. I say they end up losing 112. Putting their record at a clean 50-112.

What’s your call?

Daily Think Special: What will the Nationals’ final record be this season?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:54 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Where were you when Michael Jackson died?

I'm not sure, less than 24 hours after his passing, that this question will have the same kind of cultural relevance in 10 years that it is currently being assigned. Michael Jackson was not John F. Kennedy or even, arguably, Elvis, in part because, in this age of 24-hour celebrity, our fondest memories of him can't erase the strange and complex narrative that was the last 20 years of his life. We watched it unfold in real time, and it was messy. Jackson, though, is easily one of the most influential people of my youth, and long before he was a punchline, he was the most electric entertainer alive, other than, perhaps, Michael Jordan.

I was driving to Washington D.C. with my friend Gerry, to attend a Nationals vs. Red Sox game, when the news came over the radio that he was dead, and we spent the first few innings of the baseball game trying to wrap our heads around the idea that the man who made "Thriller" and "Billy Jean" really was gone. Between every inning, the Nationals played various songs from his catalogue, and although it initially felt strange, possibly even in poor taste, eventually it felt like the proper tribute. Baseball seemed only mildly interesting anyway. The King of Pop was on everyone's mind. There are very few people who can have the kind of impact on an entire stadium. Nothing grinds our collective culture to a halt anymore, but I guess we can measure someone's influence by how long their memory lingers in our minds even when there is something else right in front of our face to distract us.

Jackson had very little to do with sports, other than putting on one of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows in history. But there was a fluidity to the way he physically moved that no athlete, except Jordan, could ever touch. In 1992, Jackson hadn't yet tumbled down into the rabbit hole of weirdness that would define his later years, and so when he released a video for the song "Jam" that featured Jordan, it's hard to describe how big of a cultural moment it was for people in my generation. Jackson wasn't my favorite artist and Jordan wasn't my favorite player, but I remember feeling absolutely riveted when the video debuted on MTV (back when MTV showed videos instead of scripted narcissistic claptrap like The Hills.)

Continue reading "Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson, Jam Video" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 10:13 AM in The Endorsement, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

They tooted horns, rang bells and blew sirens. On a warm April night in 1963, nearly 11,000 playoff-crazed hockey fans shoe-horned into the spanking new Baltimore Civic Center to watch their beloved Clippers win their first postseason game.

The crowd cheered every shot by the Clippers’ high-scoring center, Dave Creighton, and every save by goalie Marcel Pelletier. They whooped when the public address announcer asked that a doctor go to the dressing room of the Hershey Bears, the Clippers’ opponent in the American Hockey League Calder Cup quarterfinals.

Baltimore won the game, 5-3, but lost the best-of-three series to Hershey. The Clippers would play 14 more years in the AHL but no team captured the city’s heart like the first one. Noel Price. Jean Ratelle. Duane Rupp. Who can forget?

Baltimore Sun file photo by Paul Hutchins

***

Click here to view past Through the Looking Glass posts

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:25 AM in Through The Looking Glass, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

So Wednesday will never be confused with the busiest day in bar history.

We opened in a pseudo-new location and some of you may have gotten lost in the Transformers aisle of the Toy Department on your way to Connolly’s.

But I can say Wednesday was one of the more entertaining days in a while. The topic was goofiest Baltimore sports memorabilia. And boy did the customers come up big.

Please check it out if you haven’t already. Some cool stories and items, including a hot dog wrapper and beer-vendor apron from the last game at Memorial, a Ripken-signed Sunday school paper and a steroids jersey. Free drink chips for Randall, Bruce, Josh and Ron.

But JD gets an open tab all week for his Reggie Jackson barf bag story. You ask for entertainment, people, and we provide it here.

Let’s stick with the memorabilia line for another day. If you could have any piece of Baltimore sports history, what would it be?

I am not a collector, wasn’t one before I became a sportswriter. I have saved some things for my children from my career – my scorecard from Hideo Nomo’s no-hitter, my press pass from Ripken’s final game, etc. – but I don’t seek out anything. Not only does it cross an important line for a sportswriter, but it places people on a higher pedestal simply because of their profession. And I’m not a huge fan of that.

That said, there are some things that are just cool, and remind us of simpler times. I once interviewed Billy Bob Thornton, an Arkansas native and baseball fan, at Camden Yards. He told me he has a Brooks Robinson glove with a personal inscription sitting on a shelf next to his Academy Award for Slingblade. It’s that important to him, because Brooks was that important to him as a child.

So, in that spirit, I’d love to have a Johnny Unitas signed Colts helmet or a pair of his high-top shoes. Not to re-sell, just to have. And the funny thing is I never saw Unitas play. But he was a hero to my dad and my brothers who, in turn, were my heroes. And so that’s the sentimentality behind that.

Daily Think Special: What piece of Baltimore sports memorabilia would you love to have? Not for resale, but for sentimental purposes.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 4:21 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

Welcome back to Connolly's Corner Sports Bar. Like what we did with the place?

We had a little hiatus and you probably thought I was being lazy and didn’t feel like doing much around Father’s Day.

Not a bad theory; not completely accurate.

While you were gone, we have shifted some things around. We now have a different entrance. You can now find new posts and visit the bar via the Toy Department.

Seriously.

If Wal-Mart can include a barbershop, a McDonald’s and a grocery store, the Toy Department can encompass a corner sports bar.

If you don’t think a toy store and a bar are compatible, you’ve obviously never shopped for a Wii with a 10-year-old. It is reason No. 1 for a stiff drink.

Anyway, what does this change mean for my loyal customer? Nothing, really.

We’ll still be a click away on The Sun’s baseball and sports site pages. You’ll still see my smiling face most of the time (a real attraction, I know) and we will still be serving up the same daily questions with a dash of attempted humor.

The bonus is that I’ll be joining some of my fine Sun colleagues in a larger collaborative effort and you’ll get one-stop shopping. And, on the occasion in which I am not blogging, you’ll have other cool things in the Toy Department to check out.

Should be a win-win. So, first Toy Department beer is on me.

As for today's question. It comes from my buddy and electronic sports media guru Mark Viviano, who recently asked his listeners about their strangest piece of Baltimore sports memorabilia.

Continue reading "What's your goofiest piece of Baltimore sports memorabilia?" »

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:29 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (57)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called. "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

On one wall of Ray Brown’s office hangs his law diploma and other professional awards. Across the room are a different set of treasures – team photos of the 1958 and 1959 world champion Baltimore Colts, for whom Brown played.

Guess where his visitors head first.

"It’s always football," said Brown, 72, a Mississippi attorney who helped put the Colts on the NFL map.

Don’t remember Ray Brown? He played three seasons in Baltimore, then quit the game to join the bar. Yet he had a big role in the team’s first title run 51 years ago.

A rookie safety in 1958, Brown started every game for the Colts, the only first-year player to do so that season. His eight interceptions tied for the club lead. He also punted, and his lofty 51-yard average in the Colts’ 23-17 sudden-death victory over the New York Giants remains an NFL championship game record.

His secret that day?

"Adrenalin," Brown said.

All of this, he achieved while also attending law school at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.

"I’d get up every morning, grab a brown-bag lunch from my wife and go to classes," he said. "Then I’d zip up to Memorial Stadium and eat lunch while studying films. After practice, I’d go home and work on my law briefs."

Did he ever sleep?

"It wasn’t that bad," Brown said of the regimen. "Those were great times with the Colts. We were grateful to be playing, and there were no prima donnas or (sports) agents or drugs. It was a different game."

In 1959, besides his defensive chores, Brown became understudy to quarterback to John Unitas.

"John called most of his own plays, but occasionally Weeb (Ewbank, the coach) would send one in," Brown said. Once, he recalled, Ewbank relayed to Unitas these directions: "Just score."

The Colts repeated as champs.

Brown played one more year and then, at age 25, he walked away. Why? The Colts had slipped to fourth place. Brown needed knee surgery. And he was near to getting that law degree, which came in 1962.

His diligence paid off. That summer, he took a coveted job as law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Tom Clark. Two years after leaving football, Brown walked those hallowed halls in Washington, D.C. But it couldn’t match the thrill of stepping on the field at Yankee Stadium for the ’58 title game, he said.

"What a fantastic time we had," said Brown. "I remember driving home from New York with my family after the game, stopping for dinner at a Howard Johnson’s and having the waitress say, ‘Mr. Brown, your family’s meal has been paid for by a Colts’ fan (who’d already left the restaurant).’

"The guy hadn’t even asked for autographs. That’s how grateful people were that we’d won."

A practicing attorney for 46 years, Brown started his own law firm in 1987 and still works from his home in Gautier, Miss. Married 51 years, he has three children, eight grandchildren and a cranky right knee that is giving him fits "from kicking thousands of punts as a player."

Past president of the Mississippi Bar, Brown wears his ’58 Colts championship ring and, on occasion, the blue-and-white team jacket that the club gave him. At 195 pounds, he hasn’t gained an ounce.

Two years ago, the Wall Street Journal selected an all-time law football team including, among others, former President Gerald Ford, the late Supreme Court Justice Byron (Whizzer) White . . . and Brown, the Colts’ fifth-round draft pick from Mississippi.

"When I saw that article, I thought, ‘My goodness,’ " Brown said. "Then I framed it and hung it on the wall with the rest."

Top photo: AP; Bottom photo: George C. Cook / Baltimore Sun

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 7:00 AM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

It would not be inaccurate to say the Ravens' history of quarterbacking misfortune turned decisively one day two years ago when Joe Flacco strode into K.C. Keeler's office and said he wanted to play baseball.

This is relevant because Flacco at the time was a junior quarterback at the University of Delaware, playing for Keeler, the coach, and spring practice was imminent. He was not quitting the football team, just investing himself in another sport.

Keeler didn't think twice.

"Do you realize you're going to be a draft choice in football?" he said to Flacco.

According to Keeler, Flacco said he didn't.

Just to make sure he didn't lose his quarterback to baseball, Keeler told his offensive coordinator to call Flacco's father and tell him that Joe would not be playing baseball. End of discussion.

Flacco went to spring football practice, where he wowed a number of NFL scouts with his arm, and then took the Blue Hens to the Division I-AA championship game. By late April, he was the Ravens' first-round draft pick and, well, you know the rest of the story.

It's a story that bears repeating because the Orioles just drafted Flacco's 22-year-old brother Mike, a power-hitting third baseman who slugged 14 homers and drove in 51 runs in 46 games at CCBC-Catonsville.

Who knows what might have happened had Joe gone over to baseball?

Continue reading "Flacco's moment of decision turned the Ravens' fate" »

Posted by Ken Murray at 6:06 PM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

Every year during the NBA playoffs, Don Ohl’s eyes brighten, his step quickens and his heart beats a little faster -- but not dangerously so for Ohl, 73, a survivor of six-way bypass surgery.

The playoffs always brought out the best in the onetime star of the Baltimore Bullets. More than 40 years later, the man nicknamed "Waxie" for his crewcut still holds the Washington Wizards’ franchise record for highest postseason scoring average.

In 13 playoff appearances for Baltimore in 1965 and 1966, Ohl averaged 26.2 points per game, stellar work for a 6-foot-3 guard who practically carried those upstart Bullets on his back at crunch time.

"I always played best in big games," Ohl said from his hometown of Edwardsville, Ill. "But I was proudest of my defense against top guards like (Cincinnati’s) Oscar Robertson, (Los Angeles’) Jerry West and (Boston’s) Sam Jones."

He paused in thought.

"I wasn’t a terrible player, was I?"

In a 1965 game at the Civic Center, Bullets guard Don Ohl makes a shot over New York's Willis Reed. (Sun file photo by Paul Hutchins)

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Bullet Don Ohl" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Keep this circled on the calendar, figure skating fans: midnight, Sept. 1.

That's the drop-dead date for five-time world and nine-time U.S. champion Michelle Kwan to decide whether she's going to make a comeback or not.

Then keep this in mind: Skate America. Lake Placid, N.Y. TBD.

There's an opening in the U.S lineup in the penultimate Grand Prix event, Nov. 12-15.

All of the other top women have their two GP assignments. The last spot could be for a youngster or it could be for...Kwan???

Continue reading "Michelle vs. Sasha in Lake Placid? Time will tell. " »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

He won 209 games in the big leagues, pitched one no-hitter and played in two All-Star Games as an Oriole. Yet Milt Pappas’ legacy will always be the part he played in the biggest trade in team history -- the one that brought Frank Robinson to Baltimore.

Never mind that in nine years here, Pappas never had a losing season. Or that he won 25 games for the Orioles before his 21st birthday. That Pappas was the bait that hooked F. Robby from Cincinnati in 1965 is what baseball fans remember.

Nearly half a century later, Pappas shrugs it off.

"That doesn’t bother me," the 70-year-old right-hander said of the deal. "There’s nothing I could have done to prevent it. What frosted me was that, two days before I was sent to the Reds, the Orioles told me I wouldn’t be traded. It rained that day, so I took my wife to the movies."

The feature? The Cincinnati Kid.

"I should’ve known," Pappas said.

Robinson led the Orioles to a world championship in 1966. Pappas won 12 games for the seventh-place Reds.

"That season was hard," he said.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... Milt Pappas" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 5:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Those Baltimore Colts who played with him will tell you: There was no one tougher than Bill "Iron Horse" Pellington, here tackling the New York Giants’ Bob Schnelker by the head during the Colts’ 1959 NFL championship victory at Memorial Stadium. Pellington played 12 years here (1953-64), compiled 21 interceptions and punished everyone he tackled.

How tough was he? In his autobiography, "Fatso," the Colts’ Art Donovan wrote that "Pellington once tried to clothesline [Pittsburgh running back] Tom Tracy, but he missed his throat and caught him square on the helmet. Tracy was lying unconscious for a good 15 minutes. Pellington said ‘Geez, I hurt my arm on that bleepety-bleep.’ He played five more plays before coming to the realization that his arm was broken in two."

Pellington died of Alzheimer's disease in 1994. He was 66.

Also see: Through the Looking Glass archive

Sun file photo by Joe DiPaola Jr.

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 9:13 AM in Baltimore Colts, Through The Looking Glass, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

When the Orioles dealt for Luis Aparicio in 1963, they sealed the left side of their infield for years to come. Few balls got past future Hall of Famers Aparicio, the go-go shortstop, or unerring Brooks Robinson at third. For five seasons here, the airborne Venezuelan turned double plays like this one, against Cleveland (and base runner Max Alvis) in 1967.

Aparicio had perhaps his best year in Baltimore in 1966, when he had hitting streaks of 17 and 14 games. Three times that summer, he hammered five hits in one game to help the Orioles to a World Series championship.

"I disappointed vice president, though," he said afterward. "(Hubert) Humphrey told me to hit home run for him and I didn’t."

Now 75, Aparicio resides in his native land.

Sun file photo

Also see: Through the Looking Glass archive

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 12:50 PM in Orioles, Through The Looking Glass, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

In a game of heroes, Mike Woods stood out for his courage under adversity.

When the former Baltimore Colts linebacker died last week at age 54, he was not so much a victim of the 1982 shooting that left him a quadriplegic as he was a monument to the human spirit when confronted with the worst of situations. His career in the NFL over at 27, he taught the rest of us for the next 27 years not to bemoan our piddling disappointments.

If Mike could handle his cruel fate, then we certainly should be able to handle ours. That was the message that so many who knew him came to realize, delivered ever so eloquently by a man who refused to quit or be bitter.

"Mike was destined to be heroic in a different way," Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, said Wednesday. "We deal in the business of heroes in the NFL. We all know some of the incredible heroes that exist in day-to-day life, and Mike was destined to be one of those inglorious heroes.

"I say inglorious only because [his life] was not a reality show, and he didn't have Monday Night Football covering him every day of his life. He woke up each day wanting to stay positive. That's what it's about."

Continue reading "Mike Woods: The power of a positive life" »

Posted by Ken Murray at 6:00 AM in Baltimore Colts, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

I love Sam Zell, owner of the Tribune, guardian of my career.

Direct. Funny. Articulate in his own way.

Born to Jewish immigrant parents who fled Poland before the Nazi invasion. Worked his way to the top.

Blah, blah, blah.

That's the sound of an employee with lips to boss's cheeks. Doesn't sound much different than former Oriole Brady Anderson's defense of Peter Angelos in yesterday's Baltimore Sun.

Anderson, major league heartthrob and one of the rocks on which the 1996-97 playoff teams were built, took exception to a recent Sports Illustrated piece that named Angelos the worst owner in baseball.

"He is the son of Greek immigrants who came to America with little more than their aspirations for a better life," wrote Anderson, as if that has anything to do with fielding a franchise with a record of 11 consecutive losing seasons.

What a head scratcher. If Anderson is mad at SI, why is he writing to The Sun? That's like complaining about a bad Domino's pizza to Papa John.  

Continue reading "Brady's Bunch" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)
        

By total accident, my spouse and I saw Nolan Ryan win No. 324, his last victory in an amazing career.

It's no accident that we'll be in the upper deck, behind home plate Wednesday night, when Randy Johnson of the San Francisco Giants takes the mound against the Washington Nationals in search of win No. 300.

In this age of tiny ballparks and miniscule strike zones, how often does a fan get to see two pitching milestones? And given the fact that no other pitcher is even close to 300, it seems more important than ever.

In other words, you should go.

Here's our story. We were in Cleveland to attend three games at Municipal Stadium, the "Mistake By The Lake," with 74,000 seats both cavernous and cramped to say nothing of cold and damp. The old ballpark, opened in 1932, was scheduled to be abandoned at the end of the season in favor of Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field). So before 1993's Opening Day, we booked a weekend trip.

It wasn't until we got to Cleveland that we learned Ryan, in the final year of his baseball career, would face Jose Mesa, two years before his league-leading 46-save season.  

Continue reading "Johnson goes for 300. That's the ticket. " »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:00 AM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

A pitcher whose repertoire included smoke bombs, sneezing powder and live snakes.

A catcher who bought cattle during road trips and hauled livestock in his Cadillac.

An outfielder known to run the bases backward and spout maxims like, "This year I’m going to play with harder nonchalance."

What strange birds these Orioles can be.

Moe Drabowsky, Clint Courtney and Jackie Brandt were just three of the characters who have played for Baltimore through the years ...

Moe Drabowsky / Baltimore Sun file photo by Gene Sweeney Jr.

When the Orioles bought Moe Drabowsky for $25,000 in 1965, they got more than a bullpen savant. They got a master of comic relief.

Who put the garter snake in shortstop Luis Aparicio’s pocket? Gotta be Drabowsky. Who gave that hot foot to a howling Boog Powell? Just say Moe. The Prince of Pranks, they dubbed him.

In 1966, Drabowsky went 6-0 and emerged from the bullpen to win a World Series game. But it was his practical jokes, as much as his prowess, that drove the Orioles down the stretch.

"We had a pretty loose team, because Moe took the pressure off in the clubhouse," pitcher Eddie Fisher said.

He placed live mice in teammates’ shoes and lit firecrackers when the spirit moved.

"Rolling a cherry bomb under the door, while you’re in the bathroom, is real bad," said Powell, whose ears rang for days afterward.

Most stoppers are expected to put out fires. Drabowsky was a good bet to start them. He torched newspapers while players were reading them. A whiz at giving a hot foot, he delighted in igniting a match -- or a book of them -- that he had attached to someone’s shoe.

"It became his obsession," said Powell, the first baseman. "If there were 20 guys sitting on the bench, Moe would crawl on his belly under 19 of them to give the last guy a hot foot."

Everyone was fair game. Coaches. Reporters. baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Once, in Cleveland, Drabowsky lit the instep of an Indians fan.

He burned The Baltimore Sun’s Jim Elliott so often, the scribe took to staring at his shoes during interviews. Bemused, the pitcher struck a match to the notebook in Elliott’s hand.

Other Drabowsky shenanigans: He put goldfish in the visitors’ water coolers and sprayed their quarters with sneezing powder. In Kansas City, he telephoned the A’s bullpen, pretending to be the manager ordering a reliever to warm up.

Snakes were a regular prop. During a sports luncheon in Baltimore, Drabowsky snuck a small python into the bread basket at the head table. When Brooks Robinson reached for a roll, he nearly fell off the dais.

Drabowsky retired after 17 years, four of them in Baltimore. He died of cancer in 2006 at age 70.

Continue reading "That different drummer" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Dear Matt:

So I know you're a little busy, what with your major league debut this Friday. And I'm sure you're a little bit nervous, too. You probably won't have time to read this. No one will think less of you if, by the way, you've got a few butterflies in your stomach. Quite honestly, it would be weird if you didn't have them. You probably spent much of your childhood dreaming of this moment, and now it's finally here.

Soon, you're going to walk out onto the field inside Camden Yards holding your mask and be showered with applause, and then crouch down and call your first pitch. I'm thinking three up, three down, no problem. And if you somehow get a chance to bat in the bottom of the first, I think the whole stadium might twitch with nervous energy. If you get a hit, we may even wake up Babe Ruth's ghost. The whole day will probably feel like a gigantic blur to you, so have someone from the team clip copies of Saturday's Baltimore Sun and send them to your parents. It will be a great way to explain to your kids one day what this crazy thing called newspapers were. (By the way, can we interest you in a subscription?) 

But before it all begins, on behalf of the city of Baltimore, I'm wondering if, as a transplanted Marylander, I can offer a few pieces of advice. Don't think of these as absolutes, just as a potential road map for what's ahead of you. This city was a little overwhelming to me when I arrived eight years ago. But somehow, I've grown to love it. Hopefully you will too. But here's the way to make that happen:

1. One day, when you have a night game and don't have to be at the ballpark too early, wander down to Lexington Market and get a jumbo lump crab cake platter from Faidley's. Sure, there are fancier places to eat in town. And there are a lot of places that brag about having the best crab cakes. But for my money, these are the best, and one of the best ways to capture the real spirit of working-class Baltimore is by strolling through Lexington Market to get them. This is a place where you can literally buy muskrat (although they call it Swamp Rabbit), which is fascinating and disturbing at the same time. But it's true Charm City, hon. Order some oysters and a couple Natty Bohs (still the best cheap beer you can buy), then devour a crab cake with a couple sides. Soak in the atmosphere and tell yourself, "These are my people." And remember, some food just tastes better when you eat it standing up with a plastic fork. No joke.

Photo: Megan Morrow/Norfolk Tides

Continue reading "A letter to Matt Wieters on the eve of his major league debut" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 3:01 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his\her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ..." Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He was a tall, gangly relief pitcher with a lofty IQ and a low ERA. The Orioles’ Dick Hall could compute batting averages in his head. Most of those who faced him watched their numbers fall.

Other pitchers threw harder than Hall but few threw any smarter than the 6-foot-6 right-hander, a graduate of Swarthmore College and a cog in the Orioles’ bullpen during the club’s finest years.

In nine seasons with Baltimore, Hall won 65 games, saved 58 more and had an ERA of 2.89. He helped the Birds win a couple of World Series (1966 and 1970) and two more American League flags (1969 and 1971).

He had pinpoint control despite a herky-jerky motion that one reporter said made him look like "a drunken giraffe on roller skates."

Fans chuckled at his awkward, near-sidearm delivery, and so did the pitcher.

"People said I threw like a girl," said Hall, now 78 and living in Timonium. "Hey, as long as it worked, they could say anything they wanted."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ex-Oriole Dick Hall" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Catching Up With, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

The Toy Department recently talked with Rob Dibble, who’s in his first season as MASN’s color commentator on Washington Nationals telecasts. Dibble, who won the 1990 National League Championship Series MVP during the Cincinnati Reds’ World Series-winning season, discusses his new broadcasting role, what needs to happen to ignite a true Orioles-Nationals rivalry, how he’d change baseball and more.

For viewers who have watched you for years on any number of sports shows, the Rob Dibble on MASN’s Washington Nationals telecasts seems -- dare I say it -- more mature. At 45, is the Nasty Boy becoming a nice man?

Rob Dibble: It depends on what role I’m in. If I’m doing semi-comedy, sports-news show, then they want me to be looser and more open. One of the things they always used to say to me was, ‘You really always have this serious look on your face.’ I’m like, ‘I’m really not that serious. It’s just a look I have. That’s maybe a deception on my part, but I can’t change the way I look.’ Anybody who knows me knows I’m nonstop, cracking jokes. I know how my bosses want me to be and how I’m supposed to be in this role and I act accordingly.

Some folks might say you clean up pretty good.

Rob Dibble: I give all the credit to my wife, Jonna, a former school teacher. She’s got her master’s degree and she’s very smart. She says, ‘Listen, you’re not going out there on TV like that.’ She gets a lot of my clothes, like Joseph Abboud and Hugo Boss, and she was just at Nordstrom getting more ties. She’s like, ‘I don’t know, would you like a Burberry tie that’s pink?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t even know who Burberry is.’ She knows all that stuff and I leave it to her.

Would it serve any purpose in your present role on TV to be a more excitable boy?

Rob Dibble: In this role, for now until I know how far I can go and how edgy I can be I’m going to try and be more straightforward and kind of ‘Just the facts, ma’am.’ I work for both MASN and the Nationals and I want to be honest with the players on the field, too. It’s their time. It’s not about me.

I’ve already read some blogs and stuff that people are worried about what I’m saying. It has nothing to do with me. I’m not playing. I’m just sitting watching the game, too. I’ve been broadcasting for 12 years and I played for 7 ½. People say, ‘Well, you were this and you were that.’ Well, I’m not that guy anymore. I have to be factually correct. I try to be as informative as possible and be as fair and honest as possible. It’s got me this far. People still try and make me part of the story and that’s somewhat embarrassing because it’s not about me. Some people can’t separate me from the color analyst and me the former player and I’m trying to get some distance.

Continue reading "Q&A with MASN's Rob Dibble " »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:45 AM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

On August 13, 2007, Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state, announced that Cal Ripken Jr. had been named special sports envoy for the U.S. State Department. Two months later, he set off on his first assignment – a week-and-a-half in China, meeting with dignitaries and teaching Chinese children how to play baseball. Hunt Valley-based Renegade, a multi-service production company, was there for every twist and turn of the trip. Renegade returned home with nearly 30 hours of footage, from which they’ve produced “A Shortstop in China.” The one-hour documentary debuts Friday on MASN, immediately following the Orioles game. It replays several more times.

Renegade president Tim Watkins and VP of product Chris Beutler recently spoke with the Toy Department about “A Shortstop in China.”

Before we talk about the documentary, what did you guys expect and what were you anticipating when you took on the project?

Watkins: When [Ripken’s PR representative] John Maroon floated the idea, we jumped at it. It seemed exciting and exotic.

Beutler: I think we were pretty excited to have the opportunity to do it. I was immediately psyched with the idea because I’ve always been interested in the whole "ping-pong diplomacy" thing with Nixon. There was legacy to it that I thought was an interesting opportunity. We believed there was a good story there.

What did you think of your access? Were there any restrictions or did you feel you were able to roam around and tell the story however you wanted?

Continue reading "An interview with the men behind Cal Ripken's 'A Shortstop in China'" »

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 5:00 AM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (1)