Odds to win the 2012 World Series     

Philadelphia Phillies                   11/2

New York Yankees                    13/2

Los Angeles Angels                   7/1

Detroit Tigers                             8/1

Texas Rangers                          10/1

Boston Red Sox                        10/1

San Francisco Giants                 15/1

Tampa Bay Rays                       18/1

Miami Marlins                            20/1

Cincinnati Reds                         20/1

Atlanta Braves                           22/1

St. Louis Cardinals                     25/1

Arizona Diamondbacks               28/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    28/1

Washington Nationals                30/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                 40/1

Toronto Blue Jays                      40/1

Chicago Cubs                            40/1

Colorado Rockies                       40/1

Cleveland Indians                       60/1

Chicago White Sox                    65/1

Minnesota Twins                        75/1

Kansas City Royals                   80/1

New York Mets                          80/1

Oakland Athletics                      80/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      100/1

San Diego Padres                      100/1

Seattle Mariners                        100/1

Baltimore Orioles                       150/1

Houston Astros                          200/1

Odds to win the 2012 AL Pennant       

New York Yankees                    13/4

Los Angeles Angels                   7/2

Detroit Tigers                             4/1

Boston Red Sox                        11/2

Texas Rangers                          11/2

Tampa Bay Rays                       9/1

Toronto Blue Jays                      22/1

Cleveland Indians                       28/1

Chicago White Sox                    35/1

Kansas City Royals                   40/1

Oakland Athletics                      40/1

Minnesota Twins                        40/1

Seattle Mariners                        60/1

Baltimore Orioles                       75/1

Odds to win the 2012 NL Pennant       

Philadelphia Phillies                   9/4

San Francisco Giants                 7/1

Atlanta Braves                           9/1

Cincinnati Reds                         9/1

Miami Marlins                            9/1

St. Louis Cardinals                     11/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    14/1

Washington Nationals                15/1

Arizona Diamondbacks               14/1

Colorado Rockies                       18/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                 18/1

Chicago Cubs                            22/1

New York Mets                          40/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      40/1

San Diego Padres                      50/1

Houston Astros                          100/1

Odds to win the 2012 AL East

New York Yankees                    2/3

Boston Red Sox                        3/1

Tampa Bay Rays                       9/2

Toronto Blue Jays                      12/1

Baltimore Orioles                       100/1

Odds to win the 2012 AL Central         

Detroit Tigers                             1/4

Cleveland Indians                       10/1

Kansas City Royals                   12/1

Chicago White Sox                    12/1

Minnesota Twins                        16/1

Odds to win the 2012 AL West

Los Angeles Angels                   4/5

Texas Rangers                          1/1

Oakland Athletics                      30/1

Seattle Mariners                        45/1

Odds to win the 2012 NL East

Philadelphia Phillies                   1/2

Miami Marlins                            11/2

Atlanta Braves                           6/1

Washington Nationals                8/1

New York Mets                          50/1

Odds to win the 2012 NL Central         

Cincinnati Reds                         7/5

St. Louis Cardinals                     2/1

Milwaukee Brewers                    11/4

Chicago Cubs                            18/1

Pittsburgh Pirates                      30/1

Houston Astros                          100/1

Odds to win the 2012 NL West

San Francisco Giants                 5/4

Arizona Diamondbacks               2/1

Los Angeles Dodgers                 11/2

Colorado Rockies                       7/1

San Diego Padres                      15/1

Over/Under Regular Season Win Totals

Arizona Diamondbacks               86½

Atlanta Braves                           86½

Baltimore Orioles                       69½

Boston Red Sox                        90½

Chicago Cubs                            73½

Chicago White Sox                    75½

Cincinnati Reds                         87½

Cleveland Indians                       78½

Colorado Rockies                       80½

Detroit Tigers                             91½

Miami Marlins                            85½

Houston Astros                          63½

Kansas City Royals                   78½

Los Angeles Angels                   91½

Los Angeles Dodgers                 80½

Milwaukee Brewers                    85½

Minnesota Twins                        72½

New York Mets                          73½

New York Yankees                    93½

Oakland Athletics                      72½

Philadelphia Phillies                   93½

Pittsburgh Pirates                      72½

San Diego Padres                      73½

San Francisco Giants                 87½

Seattle Mariners                        71½

St. Louis Cardinals                     85½

Tampa Bay Rays                       86½

Texas Rangers                          91½

Toronto Blue Jays                      81½

Washington Nationals                83½
courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv, Twitter: @BovadaLV).

BALTIMORE – The Baltimore Orioles play the second game of a four game set against the Chicago White Sox Tuesday night at Camden Yards as Jo-Jo Reyes makes his first start as an Oriole. Baltimore native Gavin Floyd will be making the start for the White Sox in his hometown.

Chris Davis is back in the lineup hitting 5th and playing 1B, which is welcome news for him to say the least. Davis has the final two months of 2011 to show Buck Showalter and the rest of the decision makers in the organization what he can do with the hopes of securing a spot on the team in 2012.

Buck was asked if these final two months will be a big enough sample size when the time comes to evaluate Davis’ performance.

“I think so,” Showalter said. “It gives you a pretty good sampling…I don’t think there’s anyone here sporting the background of minor league numbers like Chris. But, it’s minor league numbers. We’ll see. It’s the biggest jump in sports. The good thing about Chris is there are four sports you could put him in and he’d be an above average defender, so that’s exciting.”

Also in the lineup tonight is Vladimir Guerrero as he assumes his normal role in the cleanup spot. Guerrero, by all accounts, has been a tremendous disappointment for the Orioles after they gave him $8 million to be the big power bat that they have been missing for several seasons. As of Tuesday, Guerrero has hit just 9 HR’s while posting a career low .389 SLG and .700 OPS; and those career lows are by wide margins.

Buck Showalter was asked if he has considered moving Vlad out of the cleanup spot.

“I have,” Showalter said. “He obviously hasn’t been as productive as you’d like to see hitting in that spot in the order. If you look at some of our options, I know one I’ve considered; a couple. We’ll see. It is something I have considered.”

From being in the room, it was obvious that Showalter was treading carefully when discussing Vladimir Guerrero. This guy has a Hall of Fame track record and he is highly respected among his peers. Moving Vladimir Guerrero down in the order would be a big story, and I get the sense that Showalter doesn’t want to hurt his pride or create any sort of tension or awkwardness in the clubhouse.

That being said, Buck knows he has an obligation to the rest of the organization and Orioles’ fans across the globe to put the team in the best position to win, and right now it’s becoming increasingly obvious that Guerrero in the cleanup spot does not do that.

Tonight’s lineups:

Baltimore

SS: Hardy
RF: Markakis
CF: Jones
DH: Guerrero
1B: Davis
3B: Reynolds
C: Wieters
LF: Pie
2B: Andino

SP: Reyes

Chicago

LF: Pierre
SS: Ramirez
DH: Konerko
RF: Quentin
C: Pierzynski
CF: Rios
1B: Lillibridge
2B: Beckham
3B: Morel

SP: Floyd

BALTIMORE – The Orioles open up a four game set against the Chicago White Sox on Monday as Jeremy Guthrie takes the mound against John Danks.

The good news for the Birds, and they sure needed a bit of positive news, is that J.J. Hardy is back in the lineup batting leadoff and playing shortstop. Hardy arrived at the ballpark and declared himself good to go for Monday’s game.

“I went outside and tested it, doing all the things that hurt me in Kansas City, and it felt fine,” Hardy said.

Hardy is looking forward to rebounding from what many consider to be one of his worst stretches as an Oriole.

“It was a rough road-trip depending on how you look at it,” Hardy said. “I know I only got eight hits but they were good hits. Something I already forgot about, thanks for reminding me, but I feel like it will be good to get back in there. Glad it was only three days.”

The O’s other main injury concern, Chris Davis, was in good spirits today as he seems eager to get back on the field and show the O’s brass what he can do. While not in the lineup on Monday, it seems likely that Davis will return by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.

“I feel good today,” Davis said. “I feel like I could have played today. I’m going to take BP and I’m going to hit in the cage. I think they’re just being cautious, like I said yesterday. I haven’t done anything in the last couple of days so I’ll do some stuff today and see how I’m going to feel, see if I’m going to be sore. I’m going to go take some BP and try to hit some balls on Eutaw Street, so it will be fun.”

Davis was asked if he tried to coax his way into the lineup for the series opener.

“I’ve tried,” Davis said. “I literally actually put my name in the lineup before anyone else did, and when I came back it said I was pitching so I moved it back out of the lineup. I would love to pitch, but I just don’t want to subject these guys to that.”

Izturis update

Cesar Izturis left Sunday’s game with a groin injury. Buck Showalter said that Izturis felt worse Monday than he did on Sunday, adding that it “doesn’t sound good right now.”

From hearing Buck, I think another DL stint for Izturis is highly likely.

Jo-Jo a go

Buck Showalter confirmed Monday that Jo-Jo Reyes will start Tuesday’s game. Showalter made it a point to stress how important it was for Reyes to take advantage of this opportunity, implying that Zach Britton will be back soon which could put Reyes’ brief rotation spot in jeopardy if he fails to pitch well for the Birds.

Speaking of Zach Britton, Showalter confirmed with reporters that with his stint in the minors, his abbreviated outings against the Yankees and Red Sox, and now his DL stint, there is now no need to think about shutting Britton down early in an attempt to limit his innings. At this point, when Britton returns, he’ll be back for good, assuming good health and performance.

Here are tonight’s lineups:

Baltimore

SS: Hardy
RF: Markakis
CF: Jones
DH: Guerrero
1B: Reynolds
LF: Reimold
C: Wieters
2B: Andino
3B: Bell

SP: Guthrie

Chicago

LF: Pierre
SS: Ramirez
DH: Konerko
RF: Quentin
C: Pierzynski
LF: Rios
1B: Dunn
2B: Beckham
3B: Morel

SP: Danks

The Baltimore Orioles (6-5) travel to the ‘The Forest City’ and face the Cleveland Indians (8-4) Friday for a 3-game weekend series.

After a disappointing loss to the Bronx Bombers in extra innings Thursday night, the Orioles have to re-group and focus on the next opponent. This should be a test for the Birds and Buck Showalter to see how they rebound from a crushing 2-game set in New York.  

Welcome to the AL East.

Now the Birds will be challenged day-in and day-out for the rest of April taking on the red-hot Cleveland team this weekend and up-coming series-sets at home against the Twins, Yankees, Red Sox and away versus the White Sox to round out the month.

On the other hand, Manny Acta’s ball club has shocked the league so far by jumping out to an early lead in the AL Central, already compiling a 7-game win streak. The Tribe are led by the arms of Justin Masterson (2-0, 1.35 ERA), Mitch Talbot (1-0, 1.46 ERA), & Josh Tomlin (2-0, 2.63 ERA), all of whom are scheduled to start against the O’s this weekend.

Due to the unconvenient weather during the O’s and Yankee’s series, decisions have been made to include the first ‘WNST Weather Predictor’. This will give fans, who live in Cleveland or plan on traveling there to dress accordingly.

Friday: Partly Cloudy- High 59, Low 48 – Chance of Cesar Izturis hitting a HR 30%.

Saturday: Rain/Thunder/Wind- High 55, Low 41 – Moderately to heavy K’s for Jeremy Guthrie.

Sunday: Partly Cloudy- High 54, Low 45 – Sunshine breaking through in the afternoon cause Buck Showalter called for it.

(6 -5 )                                                                                  (8 – 4)

Friday, April 15th 7:05pm EST

Orioles @ Indians- Progressive Field

Zach Britton (2-0, 0.66 ERA) vs. Justin Masterson (2-0, 1.35 ERA)

Saturday, April 16th 1:05pm EST

Orioles @ Indians- Progressive Field

Jeremy Guthrie (1-1, 0.64 ERA) vs. Josh Tomlin (2-0, 2.63 ERA)

Sunday, April 17th 1:05pm EST

Orioles @ Indians- Progressive Field

Brad Bergesen (0-1, 3.18 ERA) vs. Mitch Talbot (1-0, 1.46 ERA)

Baltimore Orioles Projected Lineup and 2011 STATS

1. Brian Roberts- 2B

.213 AVG / 1 2B / 3 HR / 10 RBIs

2. Nick Markakis- RF

.268 AVG / 2 2B / 2 HR / 6 RBIs

3. Derrek Lee- 1B

.195 AVG / 1 2B / 1 HR / 2 RBIs

4. Vladimir Guerrero- DH

.283 AVG / 1 2B / 1 HR / 4 RBIs

5. Luke Scott- LF

.211 AVG / 2 2B / 0 HR / 0 RBIs

6. Adam Jones- CF

.195 AVG / 0 2B / 2 HR / 5 RBIs

7. Mark Reynolds- 3B

.250 AVG / 5 2B / 1 HR / 9 RBIs

8. Matt Wieters- C

.212 AVG / 2 2B / 1 HR / 4 RBIs

9. Cesar Izturis- SS

.300 AVG / 0 2B / 0 HR / 1 RBIs
 

Cleveland Indians Projected Lineup and 2011 STATS

1. Michael Brantley- CF

.311 AVG / 4 2B / 0 HR / 6 RBIs

2. Asdrubal Cabrera- SS

.286 AVG / 2 2B / 4 HR / 10 RBIs

3. Shin-Soo Choo- RF

.200 AVG / 0 2B / 1 HR / 4 RBIs

4. Carlos Santana- C

.205 AVG / 0 2B / 1 HR / 6 RBIs

5. Travis Hafner- DH

.282 AVG / 1 2B / 2 HR / 6 RBIs

6. Orlando Cabrera- 2B

.295 AVG / 1 2B / 1 HR / 7 RBIs

7. Travis Buck- LF

.136 AVG / 2 2B / 0 HR / 0 RBIs

8. Matt LaPorta- 1B

.189 AVG / 1 2B / 2 HR / 6 RBIs

9. Jack Hannahan- 3B

.235 AVG / 1 2B / 2 HR / 6 RBIs

I was sitting at Love Field Airport in Dallas when I got the news.

Like so many stories in these past 18 months, I got the news from Twitter. Enrique Rojas from ESPNDeportes.com Tweeted that the Baltimore Orioles had finally signed free agent Designated Hitter/Outfielder Vladimir Guerrero to a one year deal worth eight million dollars.

I smiled when I saw the news.

As an O’s fan-particularly an O’s fan who has seen my favorite team reach the playoffs only three times during the 27+ years I’ve been on this planet-one of which was a World Series win when I was only a month old-it’s easy to get carried away by any good news at all.

We just haven’t gotten much of it in Charm City during the regime of owner Peter Angelos, especially since 1998.

I will admit that after the Guerrero rumors didn’t produce a deal by the team’s annual Fanfest celebration January 29th at the Baltimore Convention Center-I had a bad feeling this was going to be another swing and miss for the organization and Birds fans alike.

That’s why the news of the deal was most exciting.

Not only did President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail come through to add a nine time All-Star and borderline Hall or Famer we’ve all enjoyed watching for years as a Major League Baseball fan, but he did it at a price some five million dollars more than we were told the team had originally offered.

In a few moments, it felt as though the organization had gone through a complete change. If felt as though we could finally mark the turning point in what I heard MASN’s Tom Davis call “The Rise of the Orioles” over the weekend.

Hell of a lede, huh?

Reality set in for me sometime around 2pm Saturday as I was sitting at Comcast Center in College Park watching Maryland blow out Wake Forest.

The reality in the acquisition of Guerrero is that the Orioles are a better team today than they were a week ago-but that nothing has REALLY changed organizationally.

The Birds invested $8 million dollars in their current and future on-field product Friday.

The $8 million they invested might well solidify them as a favorite to finish third in the American League East; and will lead to more MLB talking heads picking them to finish at or slightly above .500 this season.

Despite his age (35) and having missed nearly half the 2009 season with a torn pec (he played in just 100 games); there’s fair reason to expect Guerrero to equal his 2010 production (.300, 29 HR’s, 115 RBI) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 2011.

For those reasons, there is an understandable excitement surrounding the acquisition of Guerrero-myself included.

But the Orioles didn’t change the course of their organization by signing Guerrero.

They signed a player for ONE season and gave him $8 million.

They didn’t make an annual investment of $8 million in a player in his prime who will be around for five seasons.

They made a one time investment of $8 million in a player who is nearing the end of his career.

They DIDN’T spend $56 million over four seasons to acquire Adam Dunn-which is what the Chicago White Sox did this offseason.

They DIDN’T spend $96 million over six seasons to acquire Adrian Beltre-which is what the Texas Rangers did this offseason.

Some folks will say the Orioles exercised fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately, fiscal responsibility still hasn’t replaced “wins” in determining who wins the AL East and AL Wild Card.

The Orioles gave Vlad Guerrero $3 million more this season than they gave P Koji Uehara a season ago. (The team actually made more of an “investment” in Uehara than they did Guerrero-as he was originally given 2 years, $10 million.)

As CBS’ Ian Eagle would say, “that’s not a low blow…”

Guerrero makes the Orioles better, but most folks willing to take an impartial look at the general scope of the American League would agree that they’re still not approaching a place where they can legitimately compete with the likes of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

It doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have added Guerrero. They ABSOLUTELY did the right thing in making the addition. They should be commended for the decision to upgrade their team this way.

But as fans, we should have a little more IQ than to respond by saying things like “the confederate money era is over” or “they’ve finally decided to change their financial ways” or the one a caller named Aaron dropped on Drew Forrester and I Monday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST…

“Now the Orioles are set up to go out and get Prince Fielder this offseason.”

None of those things have changed.

For whatever reason, the team decided to make an $8 million upgrade that will help them win a handful of additional games this season. On paper, they will send a lineup to the plate that might end being in the top third of the league after finishing 13th in runs scored a year ago.

But adding Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero in an offseason puts them in good shape to win the 2005 NL East, not the 2011 AL East.

And it certainly doesn’t show that they’ve suddenly changed their ways in terms of spending money.

One eight million dollar payment does not suddenly enter them in the Albert Pujols discussion.

Hopefully things will go well for the Orioles in 2011.

Hopefully Guerrero will match his 2010 output.

Hopefully Lee and SS JJ Hardy will stay healthy and return to their 2009 productivity.

Hopefully 3B Mark Reynolds will keep his power numbers up even if his batting average and strikeout numbers are less than desirable.
Hopefully C Matt Wieters will reach the levels we thought he would reach a season ago.

Hopefully RF Nick Markakis and 2B Brian Roberts will be Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts.

Hopefully CF Adam Jones will look like the 2nd half of 2010 Adam Jones and not the 1st half of 2010 Adam Jones.

Hopefully the starting pitching will continue to develop.

If those things happen, the Orioles could be interesting to watch this season. It could be especially important to sports fans in the state of Maryland as we have no guarantee the Ravens will be reporting to McDaniel College in Westminster for Training Camp in July-or at all.
But can we all agree to not get carried away? Can we all agree to be able to react at an appropriate level?

The Orioles aren’t suddenly an expected contender because Guerrero is in tow. And they’re certainly not a team that has suddenly changed their business model in a way that will allow them to add players and compete on an annual basis.

They’re simply a little bit better than they were a week ago.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

-G

Happy Friday!

It’s a Happy Friday for me because tonight is my annual Fantasy Football Draft; or as I like to call it-“August Christmas.” Thanks to my buddy Chris Appel for arranging the event at Mountain Branch for our “Full House League”, where I’m assuming these things will be on the menu…

I have the 6th pick in this year’s draft. I’m mortified. Clearly Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew will be gone; with Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson likely behind them. That will likely put me in an uncomfortable spot where the best options are Frank Gore, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Michael Turner.

I have no idea what I’d do in that situation.

I guess Team “Jesse and the Rippers” probably end up having to take this guy…

And as a quick personal note; my condolences go out to Chris Appel (and former WNST.net blogger BJ Appel-the Commish in our league); whose grandfather “Big” Will Appel passed away last night. Big Will was an amazing dude who will be missed. Thoughts and prayers all around, it certainly weighs heavy on an otherwise glorious day.

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Terrence Cody (knee), Demetrius Williams (ankle) missed practice again Thursday ahead of Ravens-Giants game

Neither are major concerns, and neither have ruled themselves out for tomorrow night-although it would surprise me if either were on the field after missing practice for all (Williams) or the majority (Cody) of the week.

The Ravens will almost certainly be without O-Linemen Jared Gaither (back), Oniel Cousins (concussion), David Hale (tailbone) and Daniel Sanders (shoulder) tomorrow night; as well as CB Marcus Paschal (leg).

WR Eron Riley (back) and DT Brandon McKinney (knee) are question marks having missed a few practices this week; and I would be surprised if CB Lardarius Webb played on the turf at “The Bank” after returning from the PUP list just this Monday.

It sorta feels weird to talk about injuries before a game and not mention LJ Smith. I hope he’s doing well…

2. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Ryan Mink says ‘ball security’ very important for Cam Cameron, Ravens against New York

And after 8 fumbles in the first two preseason games against the Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins, it seems like a pretty logical thing to work on.

You know what else seems pretty logical? Posting this picture of Ninel Conde from Don Chavez….

3. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome to be inducted in Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor

I’m not sure if the Browns are planning on inviting guys to town to be honored the weekend of the induction, and it likely wouldn’t matter; as the Ravens visit the Cincinnati Bengals that day and I’m sure Ozzie will be in The Queen City, not The Comeback City.

But hypothetically, imagine the Browns holding an event on a day where Newsome had been able to attend. I am certain there would be at least a level of awkwardness at Cleveland Browns Stadium. I don’t think the majority of fans would be foolish enough to-say-boo the man whose Cleveland career made him a Hall of Fame TE. But I do think there would be a handful of fans (especially younger fans who might not remember Newsome on the field) who would be uncomfortable with honoring the GM of the team that abandoned Cleveland and now regular comes back to kick the Browns in the ass.

And there’s also the whole “he works for Art Modell” thing.

They’re doing the right thing. And it is probably best that it will happen on a day where they can avoid any level of awkwardness.

4. New York Daily News’ Ebenezer Samuel says G-Men center Shaun O’Hara to miss tomorrow night’s game

Before we move on from the Ravens, a couple of things…

-The Ravens are holding a walkthrough today that is CLOSED to the media out at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills. They’ll kickoff against the Giants at 7:30 tomorrow night at M&T Bank Stadium. The game can be seen live on WBAL11.

-Did you miss Ravens LB Jason Phillips with Drew Forrester today on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Jason discussed his road to making the 53 man roster after missing last season. You can hear it in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault right here at WNST.net. Some other things you can hear in the Audio Vault include…

• Howard Cross (New York Giants sideline reporter/former TE)-who previewed tomorrow night’s preseason showdown with the Ravens
• Domonique Foxworth (Ravens CB)-who joined Drew to talk about his recovery and preview the Maryland-Navy get together at M&T Bank Stadium on Labor Day
• TJ Rives (Tampa Bay Buccaneers sideline reporter)-who previewed the Bucs with Drew as we continued to look at all of the Ravens’ 2010 opponents
• Roger Lodge (Host of “The Sports Lodge” on AM830 in Los Angeles and the former host of “Blind Date”)-who joined Drew to preview the Angels
• All sorts of audio from Owings Mills Thursday-including Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison, Jerry Rosburg and Ray Rice
• Steve Hauschka (former Ravens, now Detroit Lions kicker)-who joined Thyrl Nelson Thursday on “The Mobtown Sports Beat”
• Joe Maese (former Ravens Long Snapper)-who joined Rex Snider Thursday on “The Afternoon Drive” to talk about Matt Katula/Morgan Cox as well as his new career as a Howard County firefighter
• Len Pasquarelli (CBSSports.com)-who checked in live from the NFL Owners Meetings in Atlanta with Rex Thursday

Plus much much more. It’s all in the Audio Vault, so once again I’ve planned your day completely. I’m getting sick of carrying you like this.

5. The AP’s Jay Cohen says Edwin Jackson masterful as Orioles lost to Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field

Not a whole heck of a lot more that can be said about this.

Jackson was TREMENDOUS last night. The type of tremendous that sorta makes you wonder how he can ever be bad.

I almost said “I’m glad Edwin Jackson doesn’t pitch for my team, because it would be frustrating to watch him.” But I don’t mean that. I’d take Edwin Jackson my team 10 times out of 10. He’s better than anyone we have.

Nights like these happen sometimes. They’re frustrating, but they happen. Hopefully there will be fewer and fewer of them in 2011.

Hopefully.

6. The AP/WNST.net provide numerical evidence of loss

Jackson’s line: 8 shutout innings, 3 hits, 10 strikeouts

Jake Arrieta’s line: 4 IP, 4 ER, 7 hits, 3BB, 2K

You REALLY don’t want to look at these numbers.

Instead, look at Olivia Wilde. She’s much more pleasant to look at. Thanks Guyism!

7. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Armando Gabino optioned to Norfolk after loss, Jim Johnson expected before tonight’s game in Anaheim

And when it comes to Gabino, we’ll always have the memories. Like…

I’m happy for Jim Johnson to finally be getting back. I think there was a real chance of him having his spirits dampened after such a dreadful season thus far.

You know what tends to help me when my spirits are dampened? Robert Randolph…

8. The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Chris Tillman roughed up, but Norfolk Tides managed to beat Charlotte Knights on farm

And before we move on from the O’s, a couple of things…

-The Birds left the Windy City last night for Anaheim, where they’ll open a weekend series with the Angels tonight. First pitch between Brad Bergesen and Trevor Bell is at 10:05pm, and the game can be seen on MASN2. Kevin Millwood and Jeremy Guthrie face Scott Kazmir and Jered Weaver the rest of the weekend.

-Adam Jones missed another game last night, but was available in an emergency situation. Still not considered a longterm issue.

-While Tillman still seems to be a guy who will be headed to Charm City next week, it does not look like Buck Showalter and Andy MacPhail will be giving Zach Britton the call. Might be the right move, but still kinda disappointing.

9. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says LaQuan Williams, Justin Lewis, Matt Furstenburg now listed as starters for Terrapins

And yet somehow Shannon James STILL isn’t starting. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN COLLEGE PARK?!?!?!? (Thanks The Smoking Jacket!)

10. ESPN.com’s Wayne Drehs says Michael Phelps has rededicated himself to Swimming after visiting this year’s Vancouver Olympics

Thank God, as I can’t take seeing Michael Phelps lose anymore.

I mean, if Phelps is losing-I’m pretty sure THIS man defaults back to being the face of Baltimore sports…

And finally, I leave you with this.

The Maryland State Fair is underway in Timonium. It means plenty of wonderful things all around. Amongst them? DEEP FRIED POP TARTS! (Thanks Fox 45!)

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Happy Thursday!

It’s a Happy Thursday for me because they have Moosehead on tap at the new Tilted Kilt in White Marsh, which is about 2 minutes from my house…

They are going to get so sick of seeing me there.

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Ravens LB Brendon Ayanbadejo expected to start season on PUP list

Which wouldn’t surprise you at all if you had checked out my “Mocking The 53” post Tuesday here at WNST.net. I took Brendon Ayanbadejo and Matt Lawrence out of the equation to make the roster, as I expected both to end up either on PUP or off the roster.

I don’t have anything definitive yet on Lawrence, but it remains a safe assumption.

The hope now is that Ayanbadejo can return to play sometime after the first 6 weeks. I’m still not totally convinced of that either, and wouldn’t be stunned if at some point the team was forced to come to an injury settlement with the LB/Special Teams whiz.

Special Teams will be where someone earns a roster spot with Ayanbadejo missing. Jason Phillips’ chances grow significantly; but David Reed, Edgar Jones, Davon Drew, Prescott Burgess, Prince Miller, KJ Gerard and Demetrius Williams could also stand to benefit by separating their special teams abilities.

Defensively, the Ravens will be without a player who had really settled in as a nickel LB and was very good at playing the pass. If you watched Donovan McNabb and Santana Moss Saturday night when the Ravens faced the Washington Redskins; you’d understand why that’s significant.

2. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says rookie DT Terrence Cody dealing with swelling in knee

And as I mentioned during one of our Ravens reports yesterday, there is no question that a man of Mount Cody’s size would be putting a significant amount of pressure on his knees.

The good news is that it isn’t necessarily structural damage (John Harbaugh pointed out there was a small cartilage issue) and Cody already told us he didn’t expect to miss a game because of the injury.

The bad news is that it is totally possible that the swelling and amount of pain COULD continue for Terrence as the season goes on.

It’s a little concerning, but certainly not frightening. You know what’s frightening? The look on Ray Lewis’ face in this ESPN The Magazine “Faces of the Game” photo…

3. Sporting News’ Dennis Dillon says back end of Ravens’ defense ‘shaky’

Anyone interested in arguing this point? Didn’t think so.

You know what DOESN’T look shaky? Karissa Gilham. (Thanks Maxim via The Smoking Jacket!)

4. The Sun’s Edward Lee says Demetrius Williams, Terrence Cody missed practice again Wednesday

And before we move on from the (on field) Ravens, a couple of things:

-The Ravens return to the practice field at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills today, with coordinators Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison and Jerry Rosburg scheduled to meet with the media. We will have coverage throughout the day on Twitter (@WNST), right here at WNST.net and with Ravens Reports at 12:30 (with Thyrl Nelson) and 4:30 (with Rex Snider) on AM1570 WNST.

-Did you miss Tavares Gooden’s OUTSTANDING chat with Drew Forrester this morning on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault today to check it out. Other things you can find in the Audio Vault include…

• Jason La Canfora (NFL Network)-who went around the league with Drew this morning
• Andy Behrens (Yahoo! Sports)-who got Drew and I ready for our own Fantasy Football Drafts this morning
• Our Morning Reaction “Cheap Shots From The Bleachers”-as I took a shot at the new Bud Selig statue in Milwaukee and Drew took a shot at the Dave Trembley interview in The Sun this morning
• Plenty of Audio from Owings Mills Wednesday-including John Harbaugh, Marc Bulger, Terrence Cody, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Cory Redding, Jarret Johnson and Tony Moll.
• Frankie Piliere (Fanhouse/Former Texas Rangers scout)-who went around MLB with Thyrl Wednesday
• Howard Balzer (Sports Xchange)-who checked in with Rex Snider Wednesday from the NFL Owners Meetings in Atlanta

It’s all in the Audio Vault, so once again I’ve planned your day for you. You can send Thank You cards right here at 1550 Hart Rd.

5. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Mike Duffy says team introduces “The Baltimore Fight Song” to the tune of old Baltimore Colts song

Here’s the song-as posted by WBAL on YouTube…

And here are the lyrics to the song…

Baltimore Ravens Let’s go

And put that ball across the line

So fly on with talons spread wide

Go in and strike with Ravens pride

Ravens dark wings take to flight

Dive in and show them your might

For Baltimore and Maryland

You will fly on to victory

It doesn’t come off as the type of song that will inspire a new generation of football fans, but it will CERTAINLY appeal to those who care about the legacy of football in Charm City.

There are some folks that would just as well have “I’ve Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas played after the team scored. If it were “I’ve Got a Feeling” by The Beatles, I might not be opposed…

6. The AP says Matusz tossed gem, Brian Roberts homered as Orioles topped Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field

I’d love to sit here and tell you that I was gripped to MASN2 to watch every pitch from the South Side last night, but I wasn’t.

Of course, during the pitches I was poking my head at on the screen in the corner of my eye-I was impressed. Maybe I should have been gripped to the TV.

Former WNST producer Chris Bonetti once printed out a Tweet from Ken Rosenthal (of FOX Sports fame) that still hangs on our bulletin board. It reads…

“A scout who caught his first look at Orioles LHP Brian Matusz: ‘I would trade virtually any guy on our staff for him. Boy, is he good.”

The guy who pitched last night…he was that guy.

7. The AP/WNST.net provide numerical evidence of win

Incredibly, you actually DO want to look at these numbers. Matusz went 7 innings, giving up just 1 run on 3 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 5.

Besides B-Rob’s homer, Matt Wieters went 2-3 with a double, 2 RBI and a run scored; and Felix Pie went 2-3 with a run scored.

Good things all around.

Of course, I can’t allow my system to be ruined-so go check out the numbers and then come right back to check out Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete, who apparently won the Miss Universe pageant. I say “apparently” because there’s no chance in all hell I actually watched the thing. (Thanks Guyism!)

8. The Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec says Mark Buehrle accused Felix Pie of stealing signs during Birds’ win over Pale Hose

And if he is….I DON’T CARE!!!

I just want Felix Pie to keep playing well. If stealing signs is somehow part of that, STEAL AWAY!!!

Obviously I’m just saying that-but in reality I’d take just about anything for Felix Pie to consistently play well. Whether it’s Buck Showalter, sign stealing, steroids or a deal with Rumpelstiltskin like in Shrek Forever After; just do it.

And maybe do it at the beginning of the season when the games still count…if it isn’t asking for too much.

9. Baysox.com says despite Joel Guzman’s 29th home run, Bowie fell to Akron Aeros on farm

And before we move on from the Orioles, a few things…

-Adam Jones was held out of last night’s game after being hit by a Gavin Floyd pitch Tuesday night. He’s not expected to miss an extended period of time.

-After a rehab stint in Bowie, pitcher Jim Johnson is expected to rejoin the O’s this weekend when they face the Angels in Los Angeles or Anaheim or Rancho Cucamonga or wherever the hell they play.

-He told me he was going to wait until after the season to talk, but Dave Trembley talked to The Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec this morning. Nothing earth shattering, but might be worth the read. I’m sure he’ll talk to us soon…

-The O’s and White Sox play the rubber game of their weekday series tonight in The Windy City; Jake Arrieta faces Edwin Jackson. First pitch is at 8:10pm and the game can be seen on MASN2.

10. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Maryland having TE troubles, as Devonte Campbell now hurt as well

With Will Yeatman and Lansford Watson already hurt this preseason, this is troubling news for Ralph Friedgen’s team.

Of course, it ISN’T necessarily troubling news for Perry Hall High School alums like Glenn Clark, as this could very well pave the way for former Gators TE David Stinebaugh to see the field on Labor Day against Navy at M&T Bank Stadium.

Matt Furstenburg remains ahead of him, and Patrick would point out that walk-on Ryan Schlothauer is probably ahead of him as well-but I don’t care. If Stinebaugh somehow manages to catch a TD in Baltimore, I’m going to get kicked out of the press box for yelling GAAAATOOORRRSSSS!!!!! at the top of my lungs.

11. UMTerps.com says Terrapins RB Da’Rel Scott named to Doak Walker Award Watch List

And if I were Da’Rel Scott, the first thing I would do is call Krystal Forscutt and find out if this was the type of thing that impressed her. (Thanks NextRound.net!)

And finally, I leave you with this.

Deadspin (via Gawker) posted this yesterday, and it was pretty funny. It’s a horse race at Monmouth Park featuring horses named “My Wife Knows Everything” and “My Wife Doesn’t Know.” It’s a pretty good call…

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Happy Wednesday!

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because I’ve been waiting days to name our “Greatest Song(s) of All Time This Week.” They couldn’t be more different. The NEW version of the “Greatest Song of All Time This Week” is a song that has been popularly passed around on Facebook (add me as a friend by searching “Glenn Clark” and click on the guy drinking Orange Kool-Aid because he lost a Buck Showalter-related bet to Ed in Park Heights), and is so good I might have to stop this segment altogether.

Note: Cee-Lo uses a LOT of naughty language in this song. It is VERY NSFW! Unless of course you work somewhere like the Gold Club. In which case, you should really stop by the studio when you get the chance…

Now for something COMPLETELY different. The CLASSIC “Greatest Song of All Time This Week” is a song I once sang on my knees to a young lady in Mexico, I once sang to a dude for free drinks at The Big Bang in Tempe, Arizona and I most recently sang in barbershop quartet form this weekend at a shindig in Towson. If you don’t like the Righteous Brothers (or at least Top Gun), there’s really something wrong with you…

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Ravens LB Sergio Kindle headed to Charm City for evaluation; John Harbaugh won’t rule him out for season

Don’t bother with the “wouldn’t the Ravens have to give him a contract?” comments. The Ravens have ALWAYS planned on giving their 2nd round pick out of Texas a contract. Once he’s been cleared by the doctors that will look at him in Baltimore, the Ravens can move forward with the process of getting a contract done and getting him to Owings Mills.

Kindle will start the season on PUP, but if he were to be able to return by Week 7 it could be a great benefit to this football team. While Antwan Barnes has had a decent preseason, the team could use as much help as they could get from outside backers and in the pass rush area in general.

Kindle would be unable to practice-but could greatly benefit from classroom hours and team meetings after having missed Training Camp. Once activated, he would likely be a scratch the first few weeks as he gets back on the practice field. If at that point he could back on the football field and make some level of impact-that’s a help.

It isn’t a “bonus” necessarily, as NFL teams always expect 2nd round picks to make an impact. But it is MUCH better than what could have been after Kindle was hurt in an accident at a friend’s house in Austin.

I say “if” in all of this, as I also wouldn’t be completely surprised if it didn’t work out the way John Harbaugh and company are hoping it will.

2. WNST.net’s Ryan Chell says ‘no quarterback controversy” between Joe Flacco, Marc Bulger

The frustrating part here is that we even have to address this. It is typically Baltimore to wonder about the other quarterbacks on the roster, as there is a history of having quarterbacks of similar value stacked up. The difference between Kyle Boller and Chris Redman or Elvis Grbac and Randall Cunningham or Scott Mitchell and Tony Banks was just never that great.

I understand this city’s obsession with backup QB’s.

But it’s time to stop.

Hell, it’s long PAST time to stop.

The Ravens have a quarterback. He’s THE guy. He’s the FRANCHISE quarterback. He’s the only quarterback that gives them a chance (if he can improve to “elite” status this season) to win a Super Bowl.

Don’t worry about what other QB’s do against backups in preseason games. It’s completely irrelevant. In fact, don’t worry that there’s even a backup QB on the roster unless (knock on wood) Joe Flacco were to get hurt.

He’s the guy. End of story.

Can we PLEASE agree to stop talking about this moving forward?

3. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Mike Duffy says Jared Gaither has ‘no timetable’ for return from thoracic disc injury

And after talking to Jared yesterday, I have NO gut feeling as to whether or not he will be available September 13 when the Ravens face the New York Jets.

I DO have a gut feeling that I will be spending too much looking at Anya Monzikova today courtesy of Busted Coverage/NextRound.net!

4. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Lardarius Webb ‘unlikely’ to get involved with return game this year

And before we move on from the Ravens, a few things:

-The Ravens are back on the practice field today at 1 Winning Drive, and John Harbaugh will speak to the media at 11:30(ish). Make sure you follow us on Twitter (@WNST), and listen to Thyrl Nelson and Rex Snider throughout the day as we keep you updated LIVE with everything happening in Owings Mills.

-A number of Ravens were not present during the portion of practice open to the media yesterday, including Terrence Cody and Cory Redding-who are not known to be hurt. Hopefully we’ll get some clarification on that today.

-The Ravens will hold their annual Countdown to Kickoff Barbecue tonight at M&T Bank Stadium; and Team President Dick Cass will hold a press conference at 7pm to announce a new fight song for the team-which is expected to be to the tune of the old Baltimore Colts fight song.

5. The AP says Gordon Beckham homered, Gavin Floyd dazzled as Chicago White Sox topped Orioles at US Cellular Field

And with that, the O’s have officially clinched their 13th straight losing season! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Traditionally, the gift to give on the 13th anniversary is lace. The modern gift to give on the 13th anniversary is textiles or furs. In this case, I’m thinking THIS is a more appropriate gift…

Last night’s game was actually fairly entertaining to watch. Felix Pie and Ty Wigginton made some spectacular defensive plays, and the Birds actually put together a decent 9th inning rally before falling short at the end.

But being excited about a loss is usually only something that happens when you’re watching a team that is mired in a 13th straight losing season.

Ugh.

6. The AP/WNST.net provide numerical evidence of loss

The good news? Luke Scott crushed a BOMB-his 25th of the season; and Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis collected 2 hits and 1 RBI apiece.

The bad news? Over 6.2 innings, Jeremy Guthrie gave up 6 earned runs on 10 hits; walking 2 and striking out 3.

You know you don’t want to look at these numbers. Instead, look at Erica Fabjan and Simona Fabjan-courtesy of Don Chavez. They’re from Slovenia and they play volleyball. What else do you need to know???

7. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Adam Jones forced to leave Pale Hose game with shoulder contusion

Which he apparently doesn’t believe to be serious. In fact, here’s what he had to say about it via Twitter…

“All goodie bmore. Imma be back in no time.“

And while we’re on the subject of Adam Jones’ Twitter account, I will be forced to admit that his profile picture is pretty freaking awesome…

8. The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Jim Johnson threw two scoreless innings for Bowie Baysox win over Akron Aeros in rehab appearance on farm

And before we move on from the Orioles, a few things:

-The Birds and White Sox get together again tonight in the Windy City, with Brian Matusz facing Mark Buehrle. First pitch is at 8:10pm and the game can be seen on MASN2.

-Did you miss Baysox pitcher Richard Zagone with Drew Forrester this morning on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault today at WNST.net to check it out. Other things you can hear in the Audio Vault include…

• Dannell Ellerbe (Ravens LB)-who woke up early to chat with Drew this morning
• Rich Lord (KILT 610 Houston)-who previewed the Texans (Ravens Week 14 opponent) with Drew this morning as well
• All sorts of audio from Owings Mills yesterday, including John Harbaugh, Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis, Jared Gaither and Matt Birk
• Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (UFC Fighter)-who joined Thyrl Nelson and John Rallo on “The MMA Report” Tuesday
• Allen McCallum (WNST Baseball Analyst)-who joined Rex Snider on “The Afternoon Drive” Tuesday

and even more. It’s all in the Audio Vault, so check it out today. Oh…and…you’re welcome for planning your day for you.

9. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens mocks Navy to Poinsettia Bowl, doesn’t think Maryland reaches bowl game

And in fairness, not much of anyone really thinks Ralph Friedgen’s team is going to find their way to the postseason this year. Of course, one win over the Midshipmen could change a lot of that. Maybe.

Navy is tied in to a trip to San Diego unless they somehow run the table and get themselves in the BCS picture. It’s not impossible either. The tough games on their schedule are Notre Dame (in East Rutherford), Wake Forest, Duke and Maryland. There isn’t an impossible game to win in the mix.

Now-Navy is also a team that has lost some inexplicable games in past years. A loss to Delaware comes to mind-but that was a Delaware team that had a pretty decent quarterback. Fella with eyebrows if I remember right…

10. UMTerps.com’s Shawn Nestor says Dexter McDougle has ‘slight edge’ over Trenton Hughes to start opposite Cameron Chism at CB for Terrapins

Damn! I was really hoping Jo Garcia would win the job. (Thanks The Smoking Jacket!)

And finally, I leave you with this.

As posted by Deadspin, this is the worst thing I have ever seen from a Little League World Series player…

This kid should be ashamed of himself. Heck, his whole country should be ashamed…

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G