“Earl Weaver stands alone as the greatest manager in the history of the Orioles organization and one of the greatest in the history of baseball. This is a sad day for everyone who knew him and for all Orioles fans.

Earl made his passion for the Orioles known both on and off the field. On behalf of the Orioles, I extend my condolences to his wife, Marianna, and to his family.”-Orioles owner Peter Angelos, via a team release.

“Every time I look at an Oriole, it’s going to be missing a feather now without Earl.“-Orioles manager Buck Showalter 

“Earl was such a big part of Orioles baseball and personally he was a very important part of my life and career…and a great friend to our family. His passion for the game and the fire with which he managed will always be remembered by baseball fans everywhere and certainly by all of us who had the great opportunity to play for him. Earl will be missed but he can’t and won’t be forgotten.”-Cal Ripken Jr. 

“I would say that Earl Weaver had the greatest impact on me as a baseball player-more than anyone else. He was tough to get along with and only cared about winning, but he is the reason why Oriole baseball is what is today. Earl was a genius and a Hall of Fame manager, and the closest that’s ever got to that is the man we have right now in Buck Showalter.”-Former Orioles catcher and MASN broadcaster Rick Dempsey.

“It’s a sad day for Orioles fans and all of baseball. Earl certainly was one of the greatest managers. To me, his greatest strength was his ability to get his players to focus on playing the game on a daily basis. The results were many wins, and a Hall of Fame career.”-Former Orioles OF Ken Singleton, who played for Earl Weaver from 1975-1982.

“O’s and MLB family lost a great leader yesterday. Earl Weaver wasn’t blessed with height but if u measured his HEART he was a 7 footer.

The man lived a great life. I think it should be a celebration. 82 years is a remarkable feat.”-Orioles OF Adam Jones

“[Earl] was a strange, intense but unforgettable man…a big part of my youth.”-Broadcaster and longtime Oriole fan Roy Firestone.

“It’s a sad day, obviously. Earl was a terrific manager and I have to be grateful that Earl was with us for the Legends Series and we got a chance to spend time with him for every single statue ceremony unveiling. He is terrific. His simplicity and clarity of his leadership and his passion for baseball are unmatched. He’s a treasure for the Orioles and we are so grateful we had the opportunity to work with him this year.” -Orioles Executive VP of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette

“Really sad to hear about that today.  He meant a lot to this city and to this organization.  You wouldn’t want to be anywhere else for today to spend all day with Oriole players and thousands of Orioles fans just to remember everything about him.” -Steve Johnson, Orioles Pitcher

“It was the perfect relationship. We won, he was tough, we got our World Series checks. It worked…you don’t ever forget an Earl Weaver. And not just if you were an umpire. Fans, players, everyone…Earl was about winning and that was what he did.

It’s a sad day for any of us that knew Earl but it’s also a sad day, I think, for anybody that has been involved with Orioles baseball. We were lucky to have him here because he did end up in the Hall of Fame. He managed some marvelous teams. But I think now we all share the pain of him being gone.

Earl never wanted to be your friend because I think he thought it would detract from his ability to be a manager.  But the one thing he did want to do — he let you know that he was loyal to you by putting your name in the lineup. You can’t really ask for much more than that.

There were a number of great choices for WNST’s fifth annual “Local Sportsperson of the Year” in 2012.

Let me remind you that there are only a few qualifications for the honor.

First, the person must be local. They must be an athlete, coach or front office member for a pro, college or high school team in the state of Maryland. Individual sport athletes who represent the state of Maryland also qualify.

Second, the person must stand out from other people over the course of the 12 calendar months. The accomplishments of that individual must be comparable to if not greater than the accomplishments of others in the area.

And finally, that person’s year must stand out from other years during their tenure/career in the area.

If you’ve forgotten, 2012 is the fifth year we’ve given the honor, with our past winners being Michael Phelps (2008), Todd Bozeman (2009), Greivis Vasquez (2010) and Rob Ambrose (2011).

There were a handful of candidates whose 2012 accomplishments would make them easy winners almost any year.

-Loyola basketball coach Jimmy Patsos lead the school back to the NCAA Tournament after inheriting a program that could only be described as “in the doldrums.” The sweat equity Patsos put into building a MAAC Championship program is perhaps unmatched, as the coach spent almost as much time shaking hands and kissing babies as he did running drills until finally reaching the ultimate goal for a low-to-mid major program.

-Even with the success Patsos had, perhaps he wouldn’t even be deemed the most qualified candidate as his own school. Charley Toomey lead the Greyhounds to one of the most improbable National Championship runs in recent lacrosse history. The Hounds came into the season unranked, but ran off 12 straight wins to open the season and finished the campaign with only one loss-a one goal defeat and the hands of Johns Hopkins. The Hounds posted a dominant national title victory over Maryland to deliver the first national championship in school history (any sport) at the D1 level.

-Adam Jones wasn’t just the Baltimore Orioles’ MVP, an All-Star and a Gold Glove Award winner in 2012. He was the anchor of a team that finally snapped a decade-and-a-half long playoff drought and perhaps most importantly endeared himself to Baltimore baseball fans forever by inking a six year contract extension to ensure fans he wouldn’t be breaking their hearts by donning pinstripes in the next few years.

-Ray Rice is likely headed to another Baltimore Ravens Team MVP honor and also warmed the hearts of purple & black fans by signing a five year contract extension of his own. Rice picked up his third Pro Bowl nod while being the rock for an offense poised to break the franchise record for most points scored in a season and helping to claim a second consecutive AFC North title for the first time in team history.

Like I said, there were plenty of great candidates.

But when it came to picking a winner, Baltimore fans were right. It actually was quite easy.

Buck Showalter actually came just ONE POINT shy of winning this honor before. The 34-23 finish he guided the Orioles to in 2010 nearly nabbed him the award, and the contentiousness of the fighting between contributors here at WNST actually lead to a change in how we selected our recipient.

In a way, Showalter has essentially owned this town ever since his first game as skipper in orange and black. Fans swooned when he famously proclaimed “I know the save rule and, quite frankly, it doesn’t carry much weight with me. I like the win rule a little bit better” following his late inning handling of Mike Gonzalez and Alfredo Simon in a win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Perhaps even more admirably, Showalter showed immense class each and every time he was asked about the seeming reluctance for Orioles fans to return to Oriole Park at Camden Yards in droves after the misery that had experienced in rooting for an organization that seemed disinterested in returning a quality product to Baltimore. Even as the Orioles were in the mix for the AL East crown in late August in front of small crowds during a series against the Chicago White Sox, Showalter continued to say things like ”it would be pretty presumptuous on anybody’s part to think that they’re going to trust us that quickly”. He didn’t just save baseball in this town, he remained as classy as possible in the process.

(Continued on Page 2…)

You are aware it isn’t true, right?

There is a well known idiom that says “lightning never strikes the same place twice.” The origins of the idiom are not fully known, although it has been attributed to writers like P.H. Myers and Mary Roberts Rinehart over the years.

Lightning can not only strike the same place twice, but could strike the same location an infinite number of times. There are no geographical laws for where lightning can strike, although we can certainly accept the notion that a lightning strike is more likely to hit a tall building than a sidewalk.

If for some reason you’re still REALLY interested in understanding this, here’s a little tutorial Accuweather put together to explain the phenomenon…

I went with this lede because I had to admit it was close to my initial response upon hearing the Baltimore Orioles believed the acquisition of 2B Alexi Casilla had solved their problems at second base.

In fact, I believe my quote was something like “does Dan Duquette really think lightning can strike the same place twice?”

If the Birds’ Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations had been in the room, he could have looked back at me calmly and said “well…it can.”

After claiming Casilla off waivers from the Minnesota Twins, Duquette declared second base to be addressed. He told team-owned entity MASN, ”I think we have enough people on our roster to man the position.”

The O’s second year man Ryan Flaherty at the position with Brian Roberts also perhaps a candidate to retain to the field after hip surgery. Veteran Robert Andino is also an option if the Orioles choose to tender him an offer. Omar Quintanilla is unlikely to return to the team after seeing very little time down the stretch and being left off the postseason roster. Touted prospect Jonathan Schoop may or may not be ready to come to Baltimore at some point in 2012.

Casilla comes to Charm City off a year in Minnesota where he hit .241 and got on base at a .282 clip over 106 games. He added 17 doubles and a home run, but his 21 stolen bases and .980 fielding position have been the saving grace for those applauding the acquisition.

I won’t mix words here. I don’t think much of the addition of Alexi Casilla. I would have preferred the Orioles acquire an actual legitimate major league second baseman this offseason, not another player to add into the mix with some hope it might actually work out. I’m aware the free agent market isn’t particularly deep at second base (Marco Scutaro, Kelly Johnson and Jeff Keppinger stand out), but I’d prefer someone from that group to a “by committee” scenario.

It’s further concerning because it reinforces the idea that the O’s aren’t going to suddenly become the “sleeping giants” of the offseason the way some (including ESPN’s Buster Olney) have suggested.

I instead believe it further reinforces what Dan Duquette said back in May during the press conference to announce OF Adam Jones’ six year contract extension. When our own Luke Jones asked if the $85.5 million deal was a sign that the team was more willing to spend money in free agency, Duquette declared “I don’t think the way to build a team is through free agency.”

(Continued on Page 2…)

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv,  Twitter: @BovadaLV).

Odds to win the 2013 World Series

Detroit Tigers                                         6/1

New York Yankees                                7/1

San Francisco Giants                             10/1

Texas Rangers                                      12/1

Washington Nationals                            12/1

Los Angeles Angels                               12/1

Philadelphia Phillies                               14/1

St. Louis Cardinals                                 14/1

Cincinnati Reds                                     14/1

Atlanta Braves                                       14/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                             18/1

Tampa Bay Rays                                   20/1

Boston Red Sox                                    22/1

Arizona Diamondbacks                           25/1

Baltimore Orioles                                   25/1

Milwaukee Brewers                                25/1

Oakland Athletics                                  25/1

Chicago White Sox                                28/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                                  30/1

Toronto Blue Jays                                  35/1

Seattle Mariners                                    40/1

Miami Marlins                                        40/1

New York Mets                                      40/1

San Diego Padres                                  60/1

Minnesota Twins                                    66/1

Chicago Cubs                                        75/1

Cleveland Indians                                   75/1

Colorado Rockies                                   75/1

Kansas City Royals                               75/1

Houston Astros                                      150/1

NBA Odds

“The huge trade with James Harden going to Houston no doubt will improve the Rockets but maybe not to the extent some people expect and in turn their win total jumped up by 3 from 30.5 to 33.5 , while the Thunder were less impacted dropping slightly from 59.5 to 58.5. Our Championship odds have not changed too much over the course of the last few weeks but some trendy teams seem to be the Nuggets whom we lowered from 66-1 to 33-1 and the 76ers have taken quite a bit forcing us to move them down from 50-1 to 33-1.”

-Kevin Bradley, Sports Book Manager, Bovada.lv

2012-2013 Regular Season – Total Points Per Game – James Harden (HOU)

Over/Under                                21.5

2012-2013 Regular Season – Total Points Per Game – Kevin Martin (OKC)

Over/Under                                14.5

2012-2013 NBA Regular Season Wins – Houston Rockets        

Over/Under                                33.5

2012-2013 NBA Regular Season Wins – Oklahoma City Thunder

Over/Under                                58.5

***First odds for all of these are the current odds, any changes are to the right of the current ones. This is for the Championship and Conference odds. Teams in blue have shorter odds, teams in red have longer odds, and teams in black are unchanged. The Divisional odds are new. 

Odds to win 2013 NBA Championship

                                                Current                        On 10/9/12

Miami Heat                                9/4                                11/5

Los Angeles Lakers                   11/4                              5/2

Oklahoma City Thunder              9/2                               

San Antonio Spurs                     12/1                              18/1

Boston Celtics                           14/1                              18/1

Chicago Bulls                            18/1                              14/1

Los Angeles Clippers                 25/1                             

Brooklyn Nets                            28/1                              30/1

Indiana Pacers                           30/1                              35/1

Denver Nuggets                         33/1                              66/1

Philadelphia 76ers                      33/1                              50/1

Memphis Grizzlies                     35/1                 

New York Knicks                       35/1

Dallas Mavericks                        40/1                              33/1

Atlanta Hawks                           75/1

Minnesota Timberwolves             100/1                            75/1

Utah Jazz                                  100/1

Portland Trailblazers                   125/1                            100/1

Golden State Warriors                150/1                            125/1

Houston Rockets                       150/1                            75/1

Milwaukee Bucks                       150/1                            125/1

Orlando Magic                           150/1                           

Cleveland Cavaliers                    200/1

New Orleans Hornets                 200/1                            150/1

Phoenix Suns                            200/1                            150/1

Detroit Pistons                           250/1                            200/1

Sacramento Kings                     250/1                            200/1

Toronto Raptors                         250/1                            200/1

Washington Wizards                  250/1                            200/1

Charlotte Bobcats                      500/1

Odds to win the 2012 – 2013 NBA Eastern Conference

Current                        On 10/9/12

Miami Heat                                4/7                                5/8

Boston Celtics                           7/1                                8/1

Chicago Bulls                            15/2                              11/2

Brooklyn Nets                            12/1

Indiana Pacers                           14/1

New York Knicks                       16/1                              14/1

Philadelphia 76ers                      16/1                              18/1

Atlanta Hawks                           35/1                             

Milwaukee Bucks                       66/1                              60/1

Orlando Magic                           75/1                              60/1

Cleveland Cavaliers                    100/1                           

Detroit Pistons                           125/1                            100/1

Toronto Raptors                         125/1                            100/1

Washington Wizards                  125/1                            100/1

Charlotte Bobcats                      200/1

Odds to win the 2013 NBA Western Conference

Current                        On 10/9/12

Los Angeles Lakers                   13/10                           

Oklahoma City Thunder              9/5

San Antonio Spurs                     6/1                                17/2

Los Angeles Clippers                 11/1                              12/1

Denver Nuggets                         15/1                              33/1

Dallas Mavericks                        18/1                              16/1

Memphis Grizzlies                     18/1                              16/1

Minnesota Timberwolves             45/1                              40/1

Utah Jazz                                  45/1                             

Portland Trailblazers                   66/1                              60/1

Golden State Warriors                66/1                              60/1

Houston Rockets                       75/1                              40/1

New Orleans Hornets                 100/1                           

Phoenix Sun                              100/1                            75/1

Sacramento Kings                     100/1

Odds to Win the 2012 – 2013 Atlantic Division 

Boston Celtics                           11/10

Brooklyn Nets                            17/4

New York Knicks                       7/2

Philadelphia 76ers                      7/2

Toronto Raptors                         50/1

Odds to Win the 2012 – 2013 Central Division  

Chicago Bulls                            10/11

Indiana Pacers                           10/11

Milwaukee Bucks                       22/1

Cleveland Cavaliers                    50/1

Detroit Pistons                           50/1 

Odds to Win the 2012 – 2013 Southeast Division          

Miami Heat                                1/25

Atlanta Hawks                           10/1

Orlando Magic                           50/1

Washington Wizards                  50/1

Charlotte Bobcats                      150/1

Odds to Win the 2012 – 2013 Northwest Division

Oklahoma City Thunder              1/9

Denver Nuggets                         6/1

Minnesota Timberwolves             30/1

Utah Jazz                                  30/1

Portland Trailblazers                   40/1

Odds to Win the 2012 – 2013 Pacific Division

Los Angeles Lakers                   2/7

Los Angeles Clippers                 3/1

Golden State Warriors                30/1

Phoenix Suns                            75/1

Sacramento Kings                     75/1

Odds to Win the 2012 – 2013 Southwest Division         

San Antonio Spurs                     4/7

Memphis Grizzlies                     3/1

Dallas Mavericks                        7/2

Houston Rockets                       25/1

New Orleans Hornets                 50/1

Orioles Lineup:

LF Nate McLouth

SS JJ Hardy

RF Chris Davis

CF Adam Jones

C Matt Wieters

DH Jim Thome

1B Mark Reynolds

2B Ryan Flaherty

3B Manny Machado

-P Miguel Gonzalez (9-4, 3.25)

Yankees Lineup

SS Derek Jeter

LF Ichiro Suzuki

DH Alex Rodriguez

2B Robinson Cano

RF Nick Swisher

1B Mark Teixeira

CF Curtis Granderson

C Russell Martin

3B Eric Chavez

-P Hiroki Kuroda (16-11, 3.32)

There is no 15-7-0 this week. I’m a man with priorities.

My priorities Sunday were quite simple. I wanted to get through pre-game and post-game shows, enjoy a Ravens win and get to Oriole Park at Camden Yards as quickly as possible to watch a playoff game with my family.

At the end of the night, those priorities were realities even if the day didn’t play out exactly the way we had hoped it would.

Sunday night was everything baseball in Baltimore should be. It was an incredible gathering of friends and family for a vitally important civic event in a town where family names have baseball connections. We’re familiar with these types of nights in Baltimore, we just know them as “football games”. We’ve waited not so patiently for another one on the baseball diamond for a decade and a half.

It finally came Sunday night and it was absolutely as intense and electric and meaningful as any lifelong (or even Johnny-come-lately) Baltimore Orioles fan could have imagined it would be.

You know what’s amazing? I stood in the outfield for two hours during a rain delay and never heard a single complaint. Not about the lines for beer, not about the weather itself, not about the massive crowds making it difficult to maneuver or find space to stand comfortably.

Hell, we had waited 15 years. What’s another couple of hours?

After the New York Yankees were introduced to a less than partial crowd, there was a break before introducing the home team to their fans. The break might have been mere seconds, but it felt like time stood still. I remember the first time being alone with a girl at 16 years old, but I don’t remember my anticipation ever being as great as it was in those moments. The opportunity to show appreciation for ending one of the most miserable runs a fan base has experienced was a moment not soon to be forgotten.

That moment was followed up by a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Perry Hall High School shooting victim Daniel Borowy and guidance counselor Jesse Wasmer, the man who stepped in and defined heroism in fending off the shooter that August morning. As a PHHS grad who has remained very close to the school in recent years (and who both went to school with and grew up down the street from Jesse to boot), I will admit that I lost it a bit during the moment. Even those without Gators ties could certainly revel in the significance of the occasion. THIS is truly a representation of what Orioles baseball should be. The most important things happening in our community should be tied to, recognized by and celebrated with the franchise that has remained in our city since 1954.

This was a moment that far transcended sports.

As Game 1 of the ALDS went along, it felt like every pitch was the most important ever thrown in the history of the sport. Each tantalizing inch around the plate was crucial, with fans hanging on every centimeter afforded to CC Sabathia but taken away from Jason Hammel. When the Birds were able to break through and plate two runs off the bat of Nate McLouth in the 3rd inning the staff at OPACY could have set off actual fireworks and they might have gone unnoticed by a crowd that could only be described as bat-sh*t bonkers.

(Continued on Page 2…)

Here is the Baltimore Orioles’ lineup for Game of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees…

Nate McLouth LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Mark Reynolds 1B
Manny Machado 3B
Chris Davis RF
Lew Ford DH
Robert Andino 2B

Jason Hammel SP

Here is the Orioles’ full 25 man ALDS roster… 

INFIELDERS/OUTFIELDERS/DH (11)

Robert Andino INF

Endy Chavez OF

Chris Davis RF

Ryan Flaherty INF

Lew Ford OF

JJ Hardy SS

Adam Jones CF

Manny Machado 3B

Nate McLouth OF

Mark Reynolds 1B

Jim Thome DH

CATCHERS (2)

Taylor Teagarden CA

Matt Wieters CA

PITCHERS (12)

Luis Ayala RHP

Wei-Yin Chen LHP

Miguel Gonzalez RHP

Jason Hammel RHP

Tommy Hunter RHP

Jim Johnson RHP

Brian Matusz LHP

Darren O’Day RHP

Troy Patton LHP

Joe Saunders LHP

Pedro Strop RHP

Chris Tillman RHP

Here is the Yankees’ lineup for Game 1…

Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez DH

C.C. Sabathia SP

Here is the Yankees’ full 25 man ALDS roster…

PITCHERS
Chamberlain, Joba
Hughes, Phil
Kuroda, Hiroki
Logan, Boone
Lowe, Derek
Pettitte, Andy
Phelps, David
Rapada, Clay
Robertson, David
Sabathia, CC
Soriano, Rafael

CATCHERS
Martin, Russell
Stewart, Chris

INFIELDERS
Cano, Robinson
Chavez, Eric
Jeter, Derek
Nix, Jayson
Nunez, Eduardo
Rodriguez, Alex
Teixeira, Mark

OUTFIELDERS
Gardner, Brett
Granderson, Curtis
Ibanez, Raul
Suzuki, Ichiro
Swisher, Nick

Follow WNST on Twitter @WNST!

It has certainly been a “storybook” season for the Baltimore Orioles in 2012. No matter how their postseason run ends, there will be memories that will last for a lifetime.

I had an itch this week to compile a list of the top ten storylines for the season. It wasn’t an easy task, but here goes.

10. The ultimate reclamation

It isn’t SO crazy to think a team would have given OF Nate McLouth another chance in 2012. The former Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star was at least playing Major League Baseball, even if he hadn’t had a particularly good season since 2009.

Lew Ford was another story altogether. Ford went a full five years between Major League at-bats before being called up to Baltimore after ripping the cover off the ball at AAA Norfolk.

McLouth has been a significant contributor since being called up in August, taking over the every day LF spot and batting leadoff since Nick Markakis got hurt. Ford hasn’t contributed quite as much, but has come up with three big home runs when inserted into the lineup against lefties.

It has also lead to Tweets like this throughout the season…

9. “Why Not Again?”

Perhaps not the most significant story of the year, the story of Steve Johnson has likely been the most heart warming for Charm City in 2012.

I pulled this picture from Steve’s Facebook page…it’s probably three or four years old. I’d be willing to bet that at this point in his life, he’s probably embarrassed by things like this.

A Kingsville native, former St. Paul’s star and son of a former Orioles pitcher (and current broadcast analyst) made some of the more significant starts of the 2012 season. It’s Hollywood quality stuff. Even more amazingly, Johnson picked up his first big league win on August 8, 23 years removed from the exact date his father picked up HIS first victory during the Birds’ incredible 1989 campaign.

The Johnson & Johnson connection wasn’t the only inevitable comparison between the ’89 and ’12 O’s, as the cartoon birds, no name players and general disbelief of the respective campaigns was impossible to ignore. It even had me singing along…

8. What a dumb great trade.

SB Nation compiled reactions to GM Dan Duquette’s decision to deal SP Jeremy Guthrie to Colorado for SP Jason Hammel & RP Matt Lindstrom before the season. Here are a sampling…

This from Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal was perhaps worse…

For what it’s worth, most of us would probably be forced to admit that we didn’t think much of the deal at the time. Guthrie had been the organization’s only quality pitcher for years and was very popular thanks to also being a stand up individual. How were we to know that Hammel was going to put together an All-Star season (when healthy) and Lindstrom would be a reliable option in the back of the bullpen before helping to land veteran Joe Saunders in a trade? And how were we to know that on the other end of the deal, Guthrie would implode in Denver before being sent to Kansas City?

Certainly the deal has turned out to be quite the feather in Duquette’s cap, as has the signing of SP Wei-Yin Chen-who has pitched to a 4.02 ERA and 1.261 WHIP over 32 starts? The only real question mark for Duquette has been Tsuyoshi Wada, who needed Tommy John surgery before he could make a pitch. The way things are going for this organization, you almost assume he’ll be Stephen Strasburg in 2013. (Okay…not really.)

7. I’m not so sure about this.

“Nick Markakis batting leadoff when he returns? I don’t know…”

I probably don’t need to show you August. Ah hell, I’ll show you August.

Markakis’ effort (before being sidelined in September) was especially crucial following the loss of OF Nolan Reimold, who hit .313 in 16 games to start the season in the role. Without Reimold, the Birds attempted to use a group of players including OF Endy Chavez and even briefly a return of 2B Brian Roberts, but none could hold down the role until Markakis. The Orioles are now hoping Markakis can somehow get back before the season ends.

6. These guys…of course!

While Hammel and Chen were obviously “hits” for the Orioles’ rotation, the other 60% didn’t pan out so well. Opening Day starter Jake Arrieta, former #1 overall pick Brian Matusz and veteran Tommy Hunter struggled mightily over the season’s first few months before ultimately finding their way back to the minors for seasoning (all have since returned and offered solid efforts out of the bullpen).

In their place, the Birds turned not only to the aforementioned Johnson, but more importantly gave the ball to two pitchers have provided a level of stability that could have been expected by absolutely no one, perhaps even themselves.

Chris Tillman was at least viewed recently as a significant prospect in the Orioles’ organization. After being acquired from the Seattle Mariners as part of the Birds’ haul (along with Adam Jones and George Sherrill) for Erik Bedard, there was a thought Tillman would ultimately prove to be part of the “cavalry” of young Orioles pitchers former VP of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail regularly spoke of.

But after 2009 (5.40 ERA 1.554 WHIP in 12 starts), 2010 (5.87 ERA 1.528 WHIP in 11 starts) and 2011 (5.52 ERA 1.645 WHIP in 13 starts), it appeared as though Tillman was all but done in Baltimore.

And then this happened.

Of course it did.

Perhaps even more improbable was Miguel Gonzalez, who was all but abandoned by the Boston Red Sox following 2009 Tommy John surgery. Executive Director of International Recruiting Fred Ferreira signed off on Gonzalez to the Birds after seeing him throw just nine pitches (according to SI’s Albert Chen). Perhaps we should have expected the man who discovered Vladimir Guerrero knew what he was doing.

And just like that, Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez saved a rotation and very likely a season.

I feel like there’s someone else we should thank…

Of all of the decisions made by Dan Duquette upon arrival, perhaps the decision to make Rick Peterson (a fixture of the “Moneyball” Oakland Athletics) the team’s Director of Pitching Development has immediately paid the most dividends.

(5-1 on Page 2…)

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv,  Twitter: @BovadaLV).

NFL Odds

Odds to win the 2013 Super Bowl XLVII (Teams in blue have shorter odds, teams in red have longer odds, teams in black stayed the same)         

                                                Last Week        Current

Houston Texans                         5/1                    9/2

San Francisco 49ers                  6/1                    11/2

Atlanta Falcons                         8/1                    7/1

New England Patriots                 17/2                  7/1

Baltimore Ravens                       9/1                    17/2

Green Bay Packers                    17/2                  9/1

Chicago Bears                           22/1                  15/1

Denver Broncos                         20/1                  20/1

Philadelphia Eagles                    22/1                  20/1

San Diego Chargers                   25/1                  20/1

New York Giants                        18/1                  22/1

Arizona Cardinals                       28/1                  25/1

Pittsburgh Steelers                    20/1                  25/1

Dallas Cowboys                         25/1                  35/1

Cincinnati Bengals                     50/1                  50/1

Minnesota Vikings                     75/1                  50/1

Seattle Seahawks                      30/1                  66/1

Washington Redskins                100/1                75/1

New York Jets                           35/1                  100/1

Buffalo Bills                               50/1                  100/1

Detroit Lions                              50/1                  100/1

New Orleans Saints                   66/1                  100/1

Carolina Panthers                      100/1                150/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers             150/1                200/1

Indianapolis Colts                       200/1                200/1

St. Louis Rams                          300/1                200/1

Kansas City Chiefs                    100/1                250/1

Oakland Raiders                        100/1                250/1

Tennessee Titans                       150/1                300/1

Miami Dolphins                          200/1                300/1

Jacksonville Jaguars                   250/1                500/1

Cleveland Browns                       750/1                1000/1

Divisional Odds

Odds to Win the 2013 AFC East Division         

New England Patriots                 1/5

Buffalo Bills                               7/1

New York Jets                           9/1

Miami Dolphins                          18/1

Odds to Win the 2013 AFC North Division       

Baltimore Ravens                       4/7

Pittsburgh Steelers                    3/1

Cincinnati Bengals                     7/2

Cleveland Browns                       200/1

Odds to Win the 2013 NFC East Division         

Philadelphia Eagles                    6/5

New York Giants                        9/4

Dallas Cowboys                         3/1

Washington Redskins                17/2

Odds to Win the 2013 NFC North Division       

Green Bay Packers                    2/3

Chicago Bears                           7/4

Minnesota Vikings                     7/1

Detroit Lions                              18/1

Odds to Win the 2013 NFC South Division       

Atlanta Falcons                         1/20

New Orleans Saints                   15/1

Carolina Panthers                      15/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers             20/1

Odds to Win the 2013 AFC West Division        

San Diego Chargers                   1/1

Denver Broncos                         6/5

Kansas City Chiefs                    10/1

Oakland Raiders                        12/1

Odds to Win the 2013 NFC West Division        

San Francisco 49ers                  4/9

Arizona Cardinals                       11/4

Seattle Seahawks                      15/2

St. Louis Rams                          18/1

Miscellaneous Props

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Who will win the 2012 NFL Regular Season MVP?        

Matt Ryan (ATL) QB                               9/2

Aaron Rodgers (GB) QB                         5/1

Tom Brady (NE) QB                               5/1

Peyton Manning (DEN) QB                     7/1

Eli Manning (NYG) QB                           10/1

Jay Cutler (CHI) QB                                15/1

Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) QB                   18/1

Arian Foster (HOU) RB                           20/1

Drew Brees (NO) QB                              20/1

Joe Flacco (BAL) QB                             20/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) RB                        20/1

Matt Schaub (HOU) QB                          20/1

Michael Vick (PHI) QB                           25/1

Marshawn Lynch (SEA) RB                    30/1

Philip Rivers (SD) QB                             35/1

Christian Ponder (MIN) QB                      40/1

Alex Smith (SF) QB                               40/1

Kevin Kolb (ARI) QB                               40/1

A.J. Green (CIN) WR                              50/1

Jamaal Charles (KC) RB                         50/1

Robert Griffin III (WSH) QB                      50/1

Tony Romo (DAL) QB                             50/1

Cam Newton (CAR) QB                          100/1

Tim Tebow (NYJ) QB                              250/1

Team Props

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – New Orleans Saints – Regular Season Wins       

Over/Under                    6

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Who will lose first?        

Arizona Cardinals                       10/13

Atlanta Falcons                         2/1

Houston Texans                         3/1

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – How many Special Team TD’s will the Detroit Lions give up from Week 5-17 in the 2012 NFL Regular Season?                    

Over                              1½ (+110)

Under                            1½  (-140)

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – How many Offensive Yards will the New York Jets have Week 5?

Over/Under                    320½

Player Props

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Will Drew Brees Have a TD Pass in all 16 games in the 2012 Regular Season?            

Yes                  +150    

No                    -200    

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Will Drew Brees throw a TD Pass in more than 56 consecutive games breaking Joe Dimaggio’s hit streak record?            

Yes                  +110    

No                    -150    

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Who will have more Passing Yards Week 5?                 

Tom Brady (NE) QB                   -150    

Peyton Manning (DEN) QB         +120    

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Who will have more TD Passes Week 5?                       

Tom Brady (NE) QB                   -130     

Peyton Manning (DEN) QB         EVEN  

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Who will have more Interceptions Week 5?                  

Tom Brady (NE) QB                   -225    

Peyton Manning (DEN) QB         +185

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Will Aaron Rodgers be the most sacked QB in the 2012 Regular Season?                    

Yes                  +250    

No                    -400    

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Will Mark Sanchez be benched in the game?               

Yes                  EVEN  

No                    -140     

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – How many times will Mark Sanchez be sacked Week 5?          

Over                              3 (-130)

Under                            3 (EVEN)

WEEK 5 SPECIALS – Rashard Mendenhall – Total Rushing Yards Week 5?                 

Over/Under                    60½

College Football Odds

SPECIALS – Who will be drafted higher in the 2013 NFL Draft?     

Geno Smith                   -140

Matt Barkley                  EVEN

SPECIALS – Will Geno Smith throw an Interception vs. Texas?        

Yes                               -150     (2/3)     

No                                +110     (11/10)

SPECIALS – What will Geno Smith have more of vs. Texas?          

TD Passes                    +140     (7/5)

Incompletions                 -175     (4/7)

MLB Odds

Odds to win the 2012 World Series

Cincinnati Reds                         5/1

New York Yankees                    5/1

Washington Nationals                5/1

Detroit Tigers                             6/1

Texas Rangers                          7/1

Oakland Athletics                      15/2

San Francisco Giants                 15/2

Atlanta Braves                           12/1

Baltimore Orioles                       15/1

St. Louis Cardinals                     15/1

Odds to win the 2012 AL Pennant       

New York Yankees                    9/4

Detroit Tigers                             11/4

Texas Rangers                          13/4

Oakland Athletics                      7/2

Baltimore Orioles                       7/1

Odds to win the 2012 NL Pennant       

Cincinnati Reds                         2/1

Washington Nationals                9/4

San Francisco Giants                 3/1

Atlanta Braves                           13/2

St. Louis Cardinals                     7/1

Wild Card Matchups (Note: No lines have been set yet in AL Wildcard Game as the Orioles haven’t announced their pitcher yet)

St. Louis Cardinals      +145

Atlanta Braves              -165

Total                            6.5

Who will record more strikeouts?

Kyle Lohse (R)               +240     (12/5)

Kris Medlen (R)               -300    (1/3)   

Total Strikeouts – Kyle Lohse (R)

Over/Under                    4½

Total Strikeouts – Kris Medlen (R)           

Over/Under                    6

Total Hits, Runs and RBI’s – Jason Heyward (ATL)           

Over/Under                    2

Total Hits, Runs and RBI’s – Chipper Jones (ATL) 

Over/Under                    2

Will Jason Heyward (ATL) hit a home run?          

Yes                  +400     (4/1)

No                     -600     (1/5)

Will Chipper Jones (ATL) hit a home run?

Yes                  +425     (17/4)

No                     -625     (4/25)

Will Brian McCann (ATL) hit a home run?

Yes                  +450     (9/2)

No                     -650     (2/13)

Will Carlos Beltran (STL) hit a home run?

Yes                  +350     (7/2)

No                     -500     (1/5)

Will Matt Holliday (STL) hit a home run? 

Yes                  +400     (4/1)

No                     -600     (1/6)

Will Allen Craig (STL) hit a home run?     

Yes                  +375     (15/4)

No                     -550     (11/2)

NHL Lockout Odds

Will Replacement Players be used at any point in the 2012-2013 NHL Season?

Yes                  15/1

Will the NHL cancel the 2012-13 Winter Classic?

Yes                  1/1

No                    4/7

Will the NHL Cancel the 2012 NHL Thanksgiving Showdown on NBC?

Yes                  4/7

No                    1/1

Will Pat LaFontaine be part of a group that buys the New York Islanders before the 2013-2014 Season?

Yes                  3/1

No                    1/5

Will the Edmonton Oilers and the city of Edmonton come to an agreement for a new arena in 2012?

Yes                  3/2

No                    1/2

Will the Edmonton Oilers move to the city of Seattle before the 2013-2014 Season?

Yes                  10/1

Will a player who played in the NHL last Season lead the KHL in Scoring?

Yes                  3/2

No                    1/2

Will a player who played in the NHL last Season lead the AHL in Scoring?

Yes                  2/1

No                    1/3

Will NHL Players Play at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi Russia?

Yes                  1/3

No                    2/1

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv,  Twitter: @BovadaLV).

Odds to win the 2012 World Series

Texas Rangers                          9/2

Cincinnati Reds                         13/2

Washington Nationals                7/1

New York Yankees                    7/1

San Francisco Giants                 9/1

Atlanta Braves                           14/1

Detroit Tigers                             14/1

Los Angeles Angels                   15/1

Oakland Athletics                      16/1

Chicago White Sox                    16/1

Baltimore Orioles                       18/1

Tampa Bay Rays                       18/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                 20/1

Philadelphia Phillies                   20/1

St. Louis Cardinals                     22/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    40/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      66/1

Arizona Diamondbacks               90/1

Odds to win the 2012 AL Pennant

Texas Rangers                          9/4      

New York Yankees                    7/2

Detroit Tigers                             13/2

Chicago White Sox                    15/2

Los Angeles Angels                   15/2

Oakland Athletics                      8/1

Baltimore Orioles                       17/2

Tampa Bay Rays                       17/2

Odds to win the 2012 NL Pennant

Cincinnati Reds                         9/4

Washington Nationals                11/4

San Francisco Giants                 9/2

Atlanta Braves                           15/2

St. Louis Cardinals                     10/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                 10/1

Philadelphia Phillies                   12/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    25/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      30/1

Arizona Diamondbacks               60/1

Playoff Chances

MLB Special – Will the Baltimore Orioles make the playoffs in 2012?         

Yes                  -110

No                    -110

MLB Special – Will the Chicago White Sox make the playoffs in 2012?      

Yes                   -150     (2/3)

No                    +120     (6/5)

MLB Special – Will the Detroit Tigers make the playoffs in 2012?   

Yes                  +110     (11/10)

No                     -150     (2/3)

MLB Special – Will the Los Angeles Angels make the playoffs in 2012?     

Yes                  +250     (5/2)

No                     -325     (4/13)

MLB Special – Will the Los Angeles Dodgers make the playoffs in 2012?   

Yes                  +400     (4/1)

No                     -600     (1/6)

MLB Special – Will the Milwaukee Brewers make the playoffs in 2012?      

Yes                  +600     (6/1)

No                    -1000    (1/10)

MLB Special – Will the New York Yankees make the playoffs in 2012?      

Yes                   -800     (1/8)

No                    +500     (5/1)

MLB Special – Will the Oakland A’s make the playoffs in 2012?    

Yes                   -800     (1/8)

No                    +500     (5/1)

MLB Special – Will the Philadelphia Phillies make the playoffs in 2012?     

Yes                  +350     (7/2)

No                     -500     (1/5)

MLB Special – Will the St. Louis Cardinals make the playoffs in 2012?      

Yes                   -150     (2/3)

No                    +120     (6/5)