New Post at MASNSports.com: Nolan Reimold and Other Delights

Hello all.

I am writing a weekly post for MASNSports.com again this year. This post is about Nolan Reimold (shocker!) and the benefits of giving him playing time. Enjoy!

Guest Blogging for MASN.com Again

Hi! You miss me?

Well, you didn't have to. I was guest posting over at the Oriole Buzz blog on MASNSports.com this week and never had a chance to let anyone know. But there's a week's worth of posts over here.

Back to regularly scheduled programming next week.

Guest Blogging for MASN.com: Derrek Lee

A little late with this link but a quick link to a post I did on MASNSports.com about Derrek Lee's batted ball peripherals and such. Over the last two nights, we've started to see some of his hits drop in for him.

Guest Post on MASNSports.com: The Longest Game in Pro Ball, 30 Years Later

The link to my guest post is here. Enjoy.

Guest Blogging for MASN.com

I will be doing some guest blogging for MASN.com this week. I will likely still have some posts over here too and I will link to the MASN posts here.

The first post: Orioles Offense Offers More of the Same

When It Comes to Spring Training Games, MASN Comes Up Small

MASN has released their 2010 Spring Training broadcast schedule. As in year's past, it is lacking.

Here's the schedule:

Orioles:
Sunday 3/7 
1pm vs Red Sox in Sarasota

Thursday 3/25 
1pm vs Yankees in Sarasota

Monday 3/29 
7pm vs Yankees in Sarasota

Wednesday 3/31 
1pm vs Red Sox in Sarasota

First, there are only 4 Orioles games. Second, there is a gap of nearly three weeks between the first game and the next one. Thirdly, it's all Yankees and Red Sox games. Blech

MASN (and the Orioles) could double the amount of broadcasts if they want to get serious about  bringing back fans to the team.

The Red Sox will broadcast 9 games on NESN. The Yankees, 12 games on YES.

That's how the big boys do it. Peter Angelos owns the network...time to make use of it to get fans excited for 2010.

Base Hits: 7/28/2009

I have been following the Orioles Spring Training stories for years now and it appears that the Orioles will officially move to Sarasota for Spring Training 2010.

Kate Wheeler at MASN has conceptual drawings of what the complex will look like after renovations. I'll be there in 2010...

*****

Also from Kate, MASN launches MASN to GO. What is MASN to GO?

MASN to GO is a downloadable and printable stats package similar to the information MASN's on-air talent use to prepare for game broadcasts.

As stats change each night and as the O's take on a new opponent every three or four days of the season, the pdf files are automatically updated with the newest info and are available for fans each morning to enjoy throughout the day....

But it doesn't stop there. You'll have BA's against tonight's opposing starter and their averages against the O's starting pitcher, probable pitching matchups for every game scheduled that day--and tomorrow, transactions and player news, standings, league leaders, hitting stats, pitching stats...

It's a nice one stop shop for fellow bloggers and the more serious fan. Good stuff. Thanks for making that available MASN!

*****

Jonathan Mayo runs down some of the best farm systems in baseball. The Orioles still rank among the top 10 in the league on the strength of their pitching.

*****

Rich Hill stinks up the joint, offers explanation and apologizes...

"Other than that, unfortunately I haven't been able to give any kind of consistent help to this team. I apologize to the front office and the guys in this clubhouse."

Hill joins Koji Uehara as apologetic pitchers for the Orioles in 2009, an occurrence I don't remember happening even once in a previous season, let alone twice. Say what you will but Sidney Ponson or Victor Santos never apologized for sucking.

At least he's trying to be a standup guy about the whole thing. ("A 7.00 ERA means never having to say you're sorry...")

*****

Non-Orioles story: I wish I could leave this story alone but I am just so dumbfounded by the whole thing. Christine Brennan speaks to the Erin Andrews controversy again.

*****

Since June 1st,

Aubrey Huff's OPS - .609

Melvin Mora's OPS - .643

Ty Wigginton's OPS - .822

I don't think you have to be a baseball genius...Free Wiggy!

MASN to Televise Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate All Star Game

MASN to Televise Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate All Star Game

Special Mid-Atlantic Classic Coverage in HD on July 15 at 7 p.m.


(Washington D.C.) -- MASN, the local leader in live sports entertainment, will broadcast the Mid-Atlantic Classic live on July 15th at 7 p.m. on MASN and MASN HD from the Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, MD, home of the independent Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

The game, which will pit a team of 28 Valley League Stars against a team of 28 Ripken, Sr. League Stars, will air in high definition during MLB's All-Star break. In addition to the game, a Home Run Derby between the two leagues will precede the contest at 5:30 p.m.

Legendary broadcaster Johnny Holliday and former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dave Johnson will handle play-by-play and color duties for the Classic, just as they did during MASN's broadcast of the Cal Ripken League All-Star Game in 2007.

"As the home of two Major League Baseballl teams, MASN is excited to showcase the best amateur talent in the Baltimore-Washington region throughout MASN's seven state territory," said MASN spokesman Todd Webster.

About the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League:

The mission of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League is to promote, promulgate, and perpetuate collegiate wooden-bat baseball in Maryland and the District of Columbia. By creating community-based summer collegiate baseball teams, the League seeks to promote amateur and youth baseball and softball in the area through the improvement of existing fields and facilities and fostering spirited competition with an emphasis on sportsmanship, teamwork, honesty, and fair play. The backbone of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League is the investment in and partnership with local communities.

About MASN

MASN is the television home of the Nationals and the Orioles. The network carries over 600 live sporting events every year including more than 275 NCAA Division I football, basketball, and lacrosse games. MASN is currently carried on 23 cable and satellite providers throughout a seven-state region.

Base Hits: 2/13/2009

I had to give a tip of the hat to Desert O at Weaver's Tantrum who did a fair job of arguing that Rich Hill's control problems may have been injury related and Rick Ankiel-like mental blocks may have been overstated.

A well argued premise that seems to been given credence by Hill himself during an interview on The Hot Stove show in MASN. Per Roch Kubatko's blog:

Hill said the injury, to a "little joint" in his back, often occurs when attempting to lift something heavy.

"I tried to compensate so I could compete," he said. "It kept building and building, and every start it would get worse and worse.

"I blame myself for continuing on and trying to fight through it."

So a tip of the hat to Desert O. Nobody who writes about the Orioles had made that assertion before him. Well played sir, well played.

*****

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Garrett Olson is moving on with his new partner while removing reminders of the old one:

But Thursday morning (Garrett Olson) spent time getting rid of the last vestiges of his Baltimore Oriole pitching career.

He took a black magic marker and filled in all the orange on his pitching cleats, orange being the dominant color of the Orioles. Actually, Olson did it with one pair and clubhouse worker Pete Fortune did it with another pair. It was sort of a paint-by-number thing.

Olson eventually will get properly color-coded shoes inclusive of the Mariner blue and teal. But for the moment, ''I didn't want to go out there wearing the orange,'' Olson said.

This is the baseball version of removing the old pictures with your ex-girlfriend in them before bringing over a new prospect for dinner. Good luck looking for happiness Garrett...

*****

MASN has released their schedule for televised Spring Training games...only 4 Oriole games on the schedule. LAME.

Look, the Orioles are most certainly going to be a losing club in 2009 and the one thing fans have to look forward to are the young prospects. So let us see them play! This schedule could easily be doubled. I guess I'll be reduced to watching other teams during Spring Training...again.

*****

Write your own punchline. Feel free to leave them in the comments for this post!

*****

The Orioles have signed another Japanese pitcher, this time former Chiba Lotte Marine farmhand Ryohei Tanaka. According to a translation from NPB Tracker, Tanaka said "I was surprised. When I heard, tears came out." Given the state of recent Oriole teams, one has to wonder whether they were tears of sorrow or joy...

*****

Pitcher and catchers report on Sunday! Spring is nearly here!

Opening Day is Here...

...and the Orioles front office actually appears competent.

While it appears that Luis Hernandez is still on the team (more on that later), the Orioles did the right thing yesterday and released Jay Gibbons.

Jay hasn't played 130 games in a season since 2005. Last season, he fell off the table as he hit only .230 with 6 HR over 84 games before getting hurt again. Injuries and poor performance had made him an albatross on a team that was desperate for offense over the last two seasons.

It was a no-brainer to hand the spot on the roster over to Scott Moore...except that I'm not the one who would have to eat almost $12 million in contract. Andy MacPhail:

"The decision was essentially down to two players and we made a baseball decision," he said. "I just didn't see where this was going to be productive, or in anyone's best interests going forward the way we're stacked up now. "

The beauty, the true beauty of all this is that the Orioles made the right decision when put in a tough spot. Scott Moore is obviously going to outperform Gibbons this year even if he struggles to adjust to major league pitching. But the question was whether or not Peter Angelos was going to eat the rest that contract. And he did.

"I hadn't reached any conclusions myself. I was wrestling with this one," said MacPhail, relaying an anecdote. "I was really, more than anything, to be honest with you, looking for advice. His advice was, 'You've got to do what you've got to do.' Those were the last words he left me with, and I took the position that this was what I think we have to do."

Quite refreshing that Mr. Angelos appeared ready to make a good baseball decision, even if it was going to hurt his wallet. Certainly a step in the right direction.

I am not a Jay Gibbons hater. I think he was a good guy (he was nice to my son so I thank him for that...) and if he could've stayed healthy he had the talent to be an above average corner outfielder in this league. I hope he is able to continue his career if he chooses to.

*****

So DirecTV was having a free preview of their "Sports Pack" this weekend and I got to watch a lot of MASN this weekend. (I live in Atlanta...) I Tivo'ed the Orioles/Nats game and what do I see in the 4th inning? Luis Hernandez making yet another fielding error! I was so mad I still haven't gone back to watch the rest of the game.

Somebody (I can't recall who) was making excuses for Hernandez on one of the MASN shows. I'm going to go back and get that ridiculous quote and post it here.

He's the starting shortstop for now. He has a clean slate with me for now. Let's see what happens.

*****

It's Opening Day baby! Beat those upstart (Devil) Rays!