In The Eyes of A Bystander...

The Brett Favre Saga: Please Make It Stop...

mdguy2415@aol.com — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:17:24 GMT

I have been really bothered by the coverage of the Brett Favre saga with the Green Bay Packers for a while, but now it's taken on a while new level.

The incessant media obsession over this story -- especially on the part of ESPN -- has become really, really annoying.

The sports media has treated this story like the O.J. Simpson case of the mid-1990's. Everyone and anyone who knew the guy, covered him, played with him, or looks good in a suit has even given their opinion of this whole saga.

The same powers that built up "the-so-called-gunslinger" as a hero has now exposed him as a spoiled athlete, a diva and just another pompous athlete who's image of a-good-ol-football player now has few chinks in it's armor. I have no sympathy for an athlete who makes $12 million a year, and really just want this story to come to a conclusion and move on.

Whether it's Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Chicago, just go somewhere.

Honestly, the wall to wall coverage of this whole thing on sports talk radio, websites, blogs, the sports channels -- ESPN, ugh -- it's just becoming kind of well, disturbing.

And some of the fans I have seen who have fawned over this guy like he's Elvis -- do you think Brett cares? Maybe. However, he's only looking out for one person -- number one, or should we say number FOUR.

The man retired, un-retired, didn't want to comeback, wants to comeback, wants the starting job, wants to settle with being a backup, competing for a job, blah, blah.

Please make it stop, please. Then again, it won't -- this story is good business for everyone, except maybe the one entity that may be hurt the most PR wise -- The Green Bay Packers.

I feel sorry for Aaron Rodgers, I really do.

The Saga of Jay Gibbons

mdguy2415@aol.com — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:40:36 GMT

For those of you who have been keeping score, or still care -- it looks like beleaguered slugger Jay Gibbons has found himself back in professional baseball.

In a country that prides itself on giving people -- or should I say, selected people -- a second chance, Gibbons is getting his; however, lest we forget, for the most part during the last three or so years, he's been treated (no pun intended) as the red-headed stepchild in a family in which he wore out his welcome.

From ESPN: The former Baltimore Orioles outfielder, who was named in the Mitchell report on performance-enhancing drugs and for months sought a chance to redeem himself, has signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Unable to find a job six weeks after his release, Gibbons, in a letter to all 30 Major League Baseball teams, acknowledged he had made a mistake. He offered to donate his minor league salary to charity if a major league team gave him a minor league deal.

The 31-year-old Gibbons was released by the Orioles in March after he batted .189 with no home runs and four RBIs in 16 games in spring training. He played in only 84 games last season because of surgery on his left shoulder.

Now, Gibbons, 31, is expected to spend the next 10 to 14 days at Double-A Huntsville before being promoted to Triple-A Nashville, if all goes according to plan. He had been playing with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.

"He's a little rusty, self-admittedly rusty," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said according to MLB.com. "The idea is to get him some minor league at-bats and then evaluate as we go along."

Ash was the Blue Jays' GM when that team drafted Gibbons in the 14th round in 1998. The Orioles acquired him in the 2000 Rule 5 draft.

"They sat down and basically interviewed him," Brewers GM Doug Melvin said, according to MLB.com. "Gord is familiar with him from Toronto, and [Gibbons] wants to get back and playing. I don't know exactly what his [off-the-field] issues were, but they were not enough to not give a guy a second chance. He's always been a good guy with a good work ethic."

I will admit -- I think Gibbons has gotten a raw deal.

If old guys like Paul Lo Duca, the self-absorbed like Jose Guillen, or middle-of-the-road reliever Guillermo Mota and the countless others in the Mitchell Report could find jobs or maintain them, why couldn't Jay?

Some people railed against him for his drug use, physique and being named in the Mitchell Report, but let's be honest with ourselves.

He might have been a great community guy, good with the fans, and besides his PED episode never ended up in the police blotter or yet never had a bad word really uttered about him in the public domain.

Honestly, he was one of the few guys -- as well as probably the most candid -- about his misdeeds. He didn't lie, hide, blame his problems or a tainted supplement or someone else.

He manned up to his error and wanted forgiveness.

Yet he could not find a job until now.

Why?

The reason why no one wanted Gibbons is that he didn't produce. Never a great fielder, or a five tool guy, he had one great intangible -- he could smash a baseball, and that watered many people's mouths.

Do you think he would still be an Oriole if he was batting .300 annually and hit 25 homers? Of course.

Lest we forget, a good guy like Andy Pettitte used HGH and found his name dragged into the whole Roger Clemens affair -- however, he's been accused of the same thing that Jay and may have done, but he's employed.

His teammates went to bat for him, and so did the Yankee brass; alas, let's not forget -- he produces and wins! Do you think the Yankees would part with his 11 wins and 3.86 ERA in a pennant race to prove a moral stance.

Please. Sports is a business, and winning is everything.

Now, let's get back to Gibbons.

Honestly, his tenure with the Orioles came to an end simply because it was a referendum on his lack of performance, inability to field his position and injury concerns -- not because of the Mitchell Report.

Anyone who thinks otherwise are kidding themselves.

The so-called cheaters in any game will always get ahead if they produce.

Um, then again, the same cannot be said for Barry Lamar Bonds who literally built the San Francisco Giants of the mid-90's into this decade, but is now on the outside looking in when it comes to the grand game.

Staying the Course and a Visit To Wrigleyville...

mdguy2415@aol.com — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:02:45 GMT

Despite the Orioles taking the Cubs series at Wrigley Field & almost doing the same this weekend in Washington, the Baltimore team to repeat again and again has been a pleasant surprise.

With the loss yesterday in Washington, they are currently 41-39, two games over .500 and are 7.5 games out of the AL East lead, but most fans would be fooling themselves if they thought Baltimore was a contending team.

I don’t want to sound crass, rude or raining on the parade — but the reality is that the Orioles are playing way above their heads.

Despite Huff, Roberts, and Markakis’ numbers, the fact remains this team has a lot of holes — (i.e., shortstop — Brandon Fahey possibly starting??), an inconsistent starting staff staffed by mostly youngsters, and a lineup stuff devoid of power.

If the Orioles are still contention by the All-Star break, Andy MacPhail should wheel and deal — for the future — not to contend for a pennant. As much I would love to see the team in the playoffs, the fact of the matter is, this still is probably not even halfway through their rebuilding job.

This notion might be unpopular, but if we have to deal one of our key guys (outside of Markakis and Roberts), it should be done if we can get quality in return. We need a shortstop, more pitching, a power bat, an offensive first baseman and more for the future.

Again, don't be fooled by Baltimore's record. We may be above water, and Oriole Magic may be back; it may be brief.

The organization still needs to be overhauled, and the goal of the Orioles should be winning for tommorrow, building a core, and creating a solid system from the majors to the minors -- not for the 2008 stretch run.

Don’t be swayed by the record right now, Andy MacPhail must stay the course.

The winning is nice, but we have to be realistic.

***

Before I go, I took a road trip to catch the Orioles take on the Cubs in their first trip ever to Wrigley Field last week. It made the rtip so much sweeter to see the Birds take two out of three from the mighty Cubs, but my journey was made much more by people of Chicago.

I'll say, I have nothing but respect for the Cubs fans and how the majority of them treated us from Birdland. They did a great job in making us welcome, by chatting with us, and conversing in baseball; however, they showed incredible passion for their team, and their ballpark -- just beautiful, pristine, and full of life.

And of course, Wrigley -- what a gem.

In a day where ballparks have emulated rock concerts or stuff you'd see in the NBA, it was nice to see a park use minimalist bells and whistles to get the crowd going.

Their ballpark is simple -- you focus on eyes on the game, the crowd, and not the exploding fireworks, a large LCD screen, and things to do otherwise than watch the game.

Simply put, you know you're there to watch baseball, unlike another park I was at this weekend.I appreciated that at Wrigley, and that's why I put it in the upper echelon of ballparks I have ever visited.

A Year Later with MacPhail and Trembley; Mission Far, Far From Accomplished

mdguy2415@aol.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:29:47 GMT

At this point last year, Dave Trembley became manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

Needless to say at that juncture, although the Orioles had played well when he came to the helm, they were still a sub .500 team with little hope of getting better.

We still had Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada as our "stars", but yet they could not get us out of a fourth place finish as well the butt of a national joke.

Also, one year ago, Andy MacPhail became the Chief Operating Officer of the Baltimore Orioles -- more or less, the man in charge.

MacPhail, highly regarded as a baseball man from a family with a rich legacy in the game, fans knew they were getting someone who knew the game -- however, we were skeptical as to how things would actually come about.

As well, who knew what Dave Trembley would be like as manager of the Baltimore Orioles?

Let's fast forward one year later.

The Orioles, much to the surprise of the nation, much less their own base, are over .500, seventy-one games into the season.

Andy MacPhail, through long hours of work with his staff has perhaps done the impossible -- that is making the Baltimore Orioles into a viable franchise again.

So far, MacPhail has looked like a genius and perhaps foresaw the future by sending Bedard to Seattle (see how that worked out!) and our big ticket, Miguel Tejada to Houston where they can't buy a win and are sinking like the Titanic. The deals he made in the off season have been proven invaluable, as we now have fan favorites in Luke, Adam Jones, & George Sherill; as well, youngsters who have made quite a contribution like Matt Albers and Dennise Sarfate.

I'm sure more guys will be on their way up to the big leagues, for example the amazing Matt Wieters, with Jake Arrieta in tow along with Billy Rowell and Nolan Reimold.

Meanwhile, in Charm City and in Oriole Nation, we have a team that doesn't give up until the very last out, and although we don't have any superstars -- we have a team that's likable, personable, plus one the region can identify with.

Young guys are getting their shot and making that most of it, and they are being embraced by the fans.

You can't say enough about Adam Jones, but let's also not forget Garrett Olson, Radhames Liz, Jeremy Guthrie, but also Brian Burres -- who may be struggling, but through guts and determination is showing why he deserves a shot at this level.

But all the recent success starts at the top, and you cannot give enough credit to Dave Trembley. He's instilled a sense of professionalism and pride within this team that seemed to be missing with Perlozzo, Mazzilli, Regan, et. al.

Yes, a big component of how I feel is that we are winning; however, it looks like the team respects Trembley and is buying into his philosophy.

We as fans can't be more grateful, and some who have not been to Camden Yards are coming back for not only the promotions, but to see winning and inspired baseball. Instead of knowing the game is over the by third inning, fans know they will get their money's worth and each game can provide that magical moments which makes following the Orioles worthwhile.

The Milwaukee series may have exposed some of the Orioles' weaknesses -- young pitchers who are still learning to be consistent on this level (item: Garrett Olson and Daniel Cabrera), not being able to do much with hitters in scoring position and a bullpen that has had a lot of pressure put on them.

Needless to say, the Orioles have been playing well; however, their weaknesses may undo the success they have had so far.

I realize Baltimore may not contend for the pennant (then again, I have been wrong on just about everything this season), but we have more hope than we ever had in a decade and we should be thankful.

However, the mission is far from accomplished. More deals and time will be needed to make the Orioles into a competitive franchise again. Some moves will be lauded, and there will be a few that will be scrutinized and ripped apart; alas, you have to take some risks – not only in sports, but in all facets of life – to become successful.

Oriole Closer George Sherill at the ESPN Zone This Past Tuesday...

mdguy2415@aol.com — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:26:51 GMT

For fans who came into the Inner Harbor on their lunch hour, or a day in the city, that ventured into the ESPN Zone on Tuesday got to see the newest Oriole, George Sherrill participate in a Q&A for about 20-25 minutes.

After the Q&A session, he signed autographs and posed for pictures in an adjacent room near general seating area of the restaurant.

In an event sponsored by ESPN Zone and the team's public relations department, Sherrill was affable, introspective and personable, joking with the fans and the event's moderator, team’s radio play-by-play man Fred Manfra.

The Baltimore closer talked about his life in independent baseball, his road to the majors and his personal experiences along with perseverance have shaped his time in the big leagues.

Sherrill never got drafted in college or high school and may have got into the majors in an unconventional way – however, he never wavered on his dream. “I had other jobs and hated them – I hated going to class; some kids enjoyed it, but I hated it. I loved going to the ballpark each day, and nothing beats it.”

In the past few weeks, I gotten to see him up close on the field, and we all as fans can agree, he’s had a hot start to the 2008 campaign and is nothing but a welcome addition to the organization. He had nothing but positives when it come to his teammates as George said, “it’s great – you’ve guys like Millar who are gonna keep it loose, as well as Walker who keeps it loose in the ‘pen; it’s a good mix of guys, old, young, outgoing…”

Of course he gave the man at the helm in dugout, Dave Trembley credit by saying, “it’s great; I love playing for him – except he’s a Notre Dame guy.”

Sherrill adds: “He knows the right buttons to push; he knows how to get everything out of you. He seems to the be one who spurs the late game heroics, with the pinch hits, pinch runners with like (Guthrie), but he (Trembley) seems to know how get everything going. If he’s got something negative to say, he’ll start out with a positive. All the coaches are for the most part --- positive, trying to build you up and get the most out of you.”

He also gave credit to his pitching coach, Rick Kranitz.

“Is a funny quiet guy, when he comes to the mound – he cracks a joke; he’s always loose and his meetings have a lot of information in them. He tries to work on your strengths and hits on your weaknesses if you’re out there and need something from him.”

Although he’s over 30, and is in no shape or form still a prospect – he knows all too well that being in the majors is a not a right – but a privilege, and he intends to stay here.

He added, “I don’t care about personal accolades – they’re nice and all, but I want to win. I want a ring and hopefully bring Baltimore back a World Championship.”

He also opined of the state of the team before the season – despite the gloom and doom of many in the media, “we knew we were going to be good – of course most of what we heard, we were going to win like 50 games or something.” He added, “The guys we have in the clubhouse, I knew we would be better than that.”

We all know as fans, the season has been filled with comebacks and also strong play; thus, Sherrill gave credit to the many fans of the Baltimore Orioles and how it pumps up the team.

“The fans, with the wins from behinds, give us all confidence.”

All in all, he is extremely likable, humble, and very personable. I knew based on what I have read about him, he’s a down to earth individual, and what you see with George is what you get.

About his famous flipped cap: “In independent ball – I used to bend it, but you know it used to look crooked, but when I got to San Antonio, I got grief about it, so I kept it as it was.”

Sherrill quipped when his teammates started to do it after each successful save for the first, “I could not stop laughing – it was against Tampa, and I could not stop laughing – but it’s all in good fun.”

“I like it.”