Baltimore Orioles
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For Jay Gibbons, Forgiveness Is a Minor League Contract AwayJune 19th, 2008
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Jay Gibbons dropped to his knees and asked for a second chance.
After being named in the Mitchell Report and being released from the Baltimore Orioles by Chief Operating Officer Andy MacPhail for reasons disclosed as performance-related, Gibbons did something he termed, “both painful and humiliating.” The designated hitter wrote a letter to all thirty Major League teams hoping that someone, anyone would give him a chance to ride the buses of the Minor Leagues.
It’s a move of passion not economics.
Because the Baltimore Orioles still owe him $11.9 million over the next two years, presumably, Gibbons could easily thrust his head into the sand, like the higher profile PED user Mark McGwire, and be comfortable in his anonymity for the rest of his life.
Gibbons even offered to donate his entire Minor League salary to his parent team’s charity. Should he make it to the Big Leagues, he writes that he would “gladly donate a significant sum to that same charity.” Read more
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Orioles Fly As Yankees SinkMay 22nd, 2008
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In the scorching heat of expectations the New York Yankees are wilting before summer has even begun. Meanwhile in the shade of simpler expectations, the Baltimore Orioles continue to shock the baseball world.
It is a study of contrasts: the Yankees with its in-your-face-what-did-you-screw-up-today media to the low-key media of Charm City.
In July of 2006, photographs of Alex Rodriguez tanning in Central Park while playing with his daughter surfaced. With four newspapers that have a circulation of over 600,000 competing for stories in New York City, a father spending time with his child before work makes headlines. Rather than a simple father-daughter moment, it became an opportunity for New York’s sportswriters to speculate about the lethargy of the team and its highest paid star.
Throughout this season, the Opening Day starter for the Orioles (take a minute to see if you can name that pitcher) has ridden his bicycle anonymously through the Baltimore streets on his way to Camden Yards. Neither the Baltimore Sun nor the Baltimore Examiner have paparazzi waiting to see if he will run a red light or pass on the right. Instead, they allow the city’s players to be themselves.
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Surrounded By Negativity, Orioles Succumb to ItMay 8th, 2008
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The offseason has transformed from golfing and hunting trips to a several-month period in which to sculpt the perfect athletic body. Players lift weights, perform various cardio exercises, consult nutritionists, and guzzle supplements of the legal and illegal variety.
With so much effort being placed on becoming physically durable, athletes ignore their fragile psyche.
In the first half of the 20th century, scientific studies stated that the human body could not run a mile in four minutes. In 1954, a 25-year-old Brit by the name of Roger Bannister proved them wrong as he crossed the finish line in three minutes and 59.4 seconds. Only 46 days later, another would break the four minute mile. Fifty years later over 350 different runners had run a sub-four mile.
The mind sets limits on the body’s performance and can easily push athletes into a wall of impossibility.
Recently, the Orioles torrid start has cooled and they are stumbling with the finish line still 131 games away. Could the team be second-guessing their abilities because of a constant barrage of questions from the media asking whether or not they are for real?
At the very least, they are tired of answering them.
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Daniel Cabrera: A Superhero in Disguise?April 16th, 2008
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Forty-seven years ago, a Dodgers pitcher started a spring training game by walking the bases loaded on twelve pitches. His catcher, Norm Sherry, walked to the mound and told the hurler to let the batters make contact.
Although the words were cliché to him, for some reason, the light in his head went off as bright as the Bat-Signal. Like for the citizens of Gotham, the illumination meant that the Dodgers savior would finally arrive. Over the next six seasons, Sandy Koufax would dominate the competition and pull down some serious hardware– three Cy Young Awards to accompany his MVP trophy.
Daniel Cabrera, a twenty-seven-year-old hurler for the Orioles, has similarly frustrated Orioles fans and their front office. Standing 6’7” tall with a right arm that throws a baseball at startling speeds, Baltimore has seen nothing but inconsistency from the Dominican.
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Baltimore Orioles: On Top in AprilApril 10th, 2008
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Wiping sleep from their eyes, baseball fans across the country open the sports page, take a swig of coffee, and blink to make sure that they are seeing reality.
Close your eyes all you want. At this point in the season, the standings have a way of deceiving. The Detroit Tigers will not finish in last; the Baltimore Orioles will fade from first. But that does not provide relief for the Tigers fan who feels sick or a deterrent to the hopeful Orioles fan.
Before April 2, finding something to cheer for in Baltimore was harder than the bricks that construct the warehouse beyond the right field wall. Not even baseball-starved Orioles fans could find a silver lining for the second game of the season.
With an announced attendance of 10,505, lowest since the opening of Camden Yards, the Orioles quietly started what would turn into a six-game sprint to grab possession of the best record in the Major Leagues.
As evidenced by the fact that the bullpen’s ERA sits below one and that they have committed only two errors, the Orioles have been as perfect as baseball will allow man to be. While the bullpen work and fielding have been notable, the most amazing thing is the batters who, apparently, have decided to do their best Frank Robinson impersonations at the plate.
Aubrey Huff, sporting a 1.067 OPS, has gone from Baltimore whipping boy to middle-of-the-order threat. Unheralded Luke Scott is molten hot and batting .500. The performances of these two make it easy to forget that Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Kevin Millar, and normally light-hitting Luis Hernandez are swinging to the tune of a .319 batting average.
Nor have these statistics been inflated through blowouts. They have shown the ability to dig in their Oriole talons and win ballgames. Of their six wins, they had been trailing in five of them. In one of those, the Orioles rallied for three runs in the ninth against the Seattle Mariners.
Speaking of the winning streak, Huff said, “We’re playing good baseball right now, [but] I know it’s early and we have a long way to go. We just have to keep being relaxed and having a good time.”
How hard could having a good time be when you are playing nearly perfect baseball? Read more
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What’s Missing? Not MuchApril 7th, 2008
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They’re off.
If you’ll pardon the high stakes thoroughbred reference, the preceding is a reminder that, unless you’re already holding a ticket that says Baltimore will make good on the “over” for Las Vegas’ estimate of 65 triumphs in 2008, you just may be the recipient of an “I told you so” moments after I cash my own voucher in the sin-filled desert.
Oh, I’m not big on wagering. I just thought it courteous to provide you with advance knowledge of what I perceive to be the most sound investment since…well, any Super Bowl involving the Minnesota Vikings.
If the swagger isn’t evident in Charm City just yet, give it time. After all, the Birds’ proposed win total of 65 is the lowest among the casino prognostications. Add to that the fact that last year’s ace pitcher, Eric Bedard has parted to the Great Northwest - and Miguel Tejada has ventured to the other league, entirely. In their place(s), the Orioles added 10 names (that’s all they’ll qualify as, at the moment) to their troubled franchise. Oh, and the O’s just swallowed close to $12 million in bidding adieu to Jay Gibbons, one of their longest-tenured fixtures.
Rebuilding, you say? Read more
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Huffs Puffs Hits Scrutiny DownApril 6th, 2008
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Fans wonder at the skills of Major League Baseball players while they are on the field. Once these players step off the diamond, something happens. Their skills vanish and they lose whatever luster they had on the field.
In an interview on Sirius Radio’s Bubba the Love Sponge, Aubrey Huff provided another example of a player verbally vomiting. After spending 1 year of his 3 year contract with the Orioles, Huff proclaimed Baltimore to be a “horse[expletive] town.”
Even his athletic prowess would not allow him to avoid the horse pie he just laid. Before stepping into the batter’s box and after every unproductive at bat, the sell out crowd of Opening Day and the 10,505 fans at the following game expressed their displeasure.
Despite attempting to receive absolution by wearing an “I Love Baltimore” shirt and saying that his remarks were uttered jokingly, more boos than precipitation rained down on him during the soggy first two games of the 2008 season.
To his credit, Huff has not backed down from the malice. The Baltimore Sun quotes Huff as saying, “If I’m in their situation, I would boo me, too.”
After insulting the 2.6 million people living in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, the Orioles’ designated hitter has done the only thing a ballplayer can do to win back fans, perform.
Huff has recorded a hit in each of the Orioles first 3 games and was the major catalyst in the team nabbing their first win of the season. While a small crowd braved the chilly follow-up to Opening Day, Huff showed the weather and the controversy was no bother by using his hot bat to stroke a 2-run homer. He added 2 more RBI by hammering a go-ahead double in the eighth inning transforming boos to cheers. Now forgiveness is only a few home runs away.
While Huff made an insensitive and idiotic statement, fans in this country revere those athletes who speak without saying anything. Derek Jeter, the golden boy of New York, has never caused a stir in the media because he, like other popular athletes, hides himself behind clichés.
When an athlete speaks his mind, people criticize. While many of these relatively young and wealthy men shove their Nikes in their mouths, why do people care? Will Aubrey Huff’s comments have any affect on the amount of tourists cruising the Inner Harbor? His is one person’s opinion and can be easily dismissed as worthless and uninformed.
Because the media and its readers/viewers turn these faux pas into a universal pissing contest, players resort to clichés. It’s a natural reaction. They are protecting their investment, namely their image, but when that protection prevents positive action, are these iron-men of the field or court running scared of their obligations?
LeBron James refused to sign an open letter to the Chinese government condemning them for their role in the genocide in Darfur. While all but one of his teammates signed the letter, James cited a lack of information as his reason for not signing.
Perhaps, LeBron is being truthful. Or it could be that Nike, a company that pays James $90 million to hock their products, is looking to expand its empire to China. Perhaps, it is because James’ one desire is to be a “global icon.” It is tough to be an icon of that magnitude when roughly 1/6 of the world’s population might come to resent you.
While it is unlikely that James’ autograph on that letter would have brought much more media attention to Sudan, his missing signature reflects public opinion. While some individuals saw his inaction as a version of cowardice, most fans ignored the stories asking, “How did LeBron do last night?” James is not alone, and he should not be singled out. It’s the nature of the game, or maybe the fan.
People will criticize the active actions and worthless comments of athletes, but do not care when they hide behind clichés or refuse to better the world through inactivity.
The people who are lucky enough to play sports for a living have been blessed with athletic abilities and cursed with having their comments dissected by millions each day. Unfortunately, public speaking and politics are things most of these athletes have not explored in tremendous depth.
Because of this, to avoid being hypocrites, fans should dismiss ridiculous and harmless comments like the ones made by Huff or choose to criticize athletes like James for not using their star to make a better world.
Unfortunately, the gifts of fans don’t often come in any form other than boos and cheers.
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Orioles Find Model In Their Own BackyardApril 2nd, 2008
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Banners wave from street posts across Baltimore proclaiming in that Spartan way that “This Is Birdland.”
The allusion to the film where 300 Spartans hold off hordes of Persians is a weak one. The Persian-like teams in Boston, New York, and Toronto will steamroll these Orioles to the tune of a 90-loss season. The other team in the division may provide a little more help as they bludgeon them.
Prepare for a phrase that may have never been uttered. The Tampa Bay [Devil] Rays should Read more
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Opening DayMarch 31st, 2008
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As the last people staggered away from the St. Patrick’s Day Festival on O’Donnell Street, Baltimoreans were already anticipating Opening Day, less than two weeks away.
However, with so many experts picking the Baltimore Orioles to finish in the cellar, is there anything to look forward to besides grabbing a few Natty Bohs at Pickles Pub before a game? If you can look beyond the Win/Loss column, there will be more than enough great baseball to watch throughout the season.
Guiding the Orioles, General Manager Andy MacPhail, with a dearth of subtlety, showed that the franchise is rebuilding and playing for the World Series at the start of the next decade. They will go back to formula and forego the pipedream of overtaking the Red Sox and Yankees by making costly and unwise free agent signings.