That’s what Todd Bozeman heard this time last year when he guided the Morgan State Bears to the MEAC title and a trip to the NCAA tournament in his third season on Hillen Rd.

Do something once…and your critics always say, “Let’s see if you can do it again.”

Bozeman has indeed done it again.

With Morgan State’s 68-61 win over South Carolina State in Saturday’s MEAC Championship, Todd Bozeman has earned a second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.

Five years ago, that feat would have seemed nearly impossible.

It wouldn’t have seemed that unlikely given Bozeman’s credentials and coaching pedigree.  Five years ago, though, Bozeman was without a job, having been banished by the NCAA back in 1996 for paying a player at California $30,000 so his parents could travel to watch their son play for the Golden Bears.

So, to go from unemployed in March of 2005 to making two straight trips to the NCAA tournament by March 2010…at a school that went 4-26 just five seasons ago…I’d consider such a feat almost miracle-like.

But calling Morgan State’s back-to-back MEAC titles “miracle-like” is doing a huge injustice to Todd Bozeman.

He’s the reason why the Bears are going back to The Dance.

He’d never admit it, of course.  Bozeman would no doubt give all the credit to his outstanding senior guard and the school’s all-time leading scorer, Reggie Holmes.  He’d brag about the dominance of big man Kevin Thompson.  And he’d laud the leadership and timely contributions of senior Troy Smith.

Bozeman - like most coaches, actually - would NEVER take the credit for his team’s successful two-year run.

But he’s the man behind their success.

A few years back, Todd joined me on The Comcast Morning Show and told a story about his father.  Bozeman was in the hospital visiting his Dad (suffering from lung cancer) when he became agitated that nurses were taking too long retrieving pain medication.  As Bozeman’s agitation level increased, his father pulled him close and whispered, “Be Patient”.  Those were the last words Todd’s father ever spoke to his son.

When you watch Bozeman coach these days, you see the impact of those words at work.  Even during Saturday’s final against South Carolina State, his style and demeanor was no different than it would be if the Bears were playing at Hill Field House against MEAC rival Florida A&M on a Tuesday night in January.  He’s animated, like most every coach in college basketball, but he’s almost never out of control.  And it always seems like Bozeman knows the right time to push harder and the right time to ease off.

The final words of his halftime speech (aired on ESPN-U) in the MEAC final were proof-positive that Bozeman knows the right buttons to push at the right time.  Leading South Carolina State 29-24 at the half, the coach quietly gathered his players in the locker room and sent them out for the final 20 minutes by offering this:

“When practice started last year, you all wanted this.  You wanted to be ahead at halftime of the conference final with a chance to go back to the tournament.  Well…here you are.  What are you going to do about it?  That’s the question.”

What are YOU going to do about it?

No one was singled out.  No extra pressure put on a senior.  Or the leading scorer.  Win as a team - lose as a team.

It was a great statement and the perfect thing to say to a group of men who were wearing the bulls-eye on their backs all season long.

“What are you going to do about it?”

His Bears went out and battled a pesky South Carolina State for the first 10 minutes of the final half.  It was anyone’s game.  With his team ahead by five points and 8 minutes to play, Bozeman gathered his team during a time-out.  The TV cameras and microphones zeroed in on the coach as he addressed the Bears.  ”This is all up to you now.  Go out and win this game.”

Part of coaching — doing it well, in particular — is sometimes knowing when NOT to coach.  In that time-out, Bozeman didn’t have a clipboard in his hand.  He wasn’t sweating like a mad man.  He didn’t raise his voice.

“Go out and win this game.”

Simple enough.

Sounds to me like someone, somewhere, was telling Bozeman — “be patient”.

It helps to have Reggie Holmes and Kevin Thompson, don’t get me wrong, but this magic ride of the Bears is being captained by Bozeman.  No matter who they draw in the opening game of the NCAA tournament, Morgan State will be in for a battle.

But so will their opponent.

And win or lose next week, Todd Bozeman’s career revival is now complete.  There were plenty of folks in the NCAA, including people in Baltimore, who hoped Bozeman would fail with the Bears.  Some believed he wasn’t worthy of a second chance.  A lot of people figured he’d show up at the obscure school in Baltimore and pay the ultimate price for his misgivings at Cal:  ”He’ll wallow in a sea of mediocrity at that place…they don’t have any money in the athletic department…he can’t get the best kids from the city to play for him.”  That’s what they said about Bozeman.

All he wanted was another opportunity.  Bozeman was in the “beggars can’t be choosers” club when Butch Beard stepped down and the Bears’ head coaching job was available.  One of the pressing negative issues for Bozeman, though, would come once somehow actually DID hire him.  He’d have to face the media, and the alumni, and explain what happened at Cal ten years ago.

When he was hired by Morgan State, the new coach handled every question about his ouster from Cal with dignity and honesty.

“I made a bad mistake, but that doesn’t make me a bad person.” Bozeman said in his debut press conference.  ”I’m coming here to help get this program turned around.  I owe them everything because they gave me a second chance.”

Well, the program has been turned around.

Big time.

And the guy who got a second chance has paid huge dividends for the little school in north Baltimore.

All it took was a little patience.

10 years worth, in fact.

This one is going to be short.  Really short.

Chad Moeller is going to be the back-up catcher when the Birds come north in April.

I can’t really say much about him.  He’s not Crash Davis (Bull Durham), per-se, but he’s close.  Davis, if memory serves me right, could actually hit.  That is, when he wasn’t dead tired from hanging around Susan Sarandon all night.  Wait, he actually didn’t make time with her until the end of the movie. Who was her boy toy?  Oh, right, Nuke LaLoosh.  ”Million dollar arm, 10 cent head”.  Wasn’t that the line?

I got off track.  Sorry.  Back to Chad Moeller.

He’s a nice enough guy.  He might even make a decent bench coach/manager someday, as most catchers seem to do.  If he hangs around all season as Matt Wieters’ valet, he might start 25 games behind the plate.

Summary: Every team needs a back-up catcher.  Generally, that guy shouldn’t cost the team a lot of money.  And he should be decent defensively. Moeller fits the last two to a tee.  He’s cheap and good with the glove.  End of summary.

Drew’s 2010 projections for Moeller:

* .254 average

* 3 HR

* 15 RBI

Here are some hand-picked e-mails:

Drew,

I know you said you protested on Tuesday night and didn’t go to Martin’s for the Ed Block dinner but if you would have gone and you would have had five minutes with Michael Vick, I’m curious as to what you would have said to him.  You defended him a lot over the last few months.  I had no idea you were such a fan of his.  What would you have said to him?

Jack in Owings Mills

Jack,

I wouldn’t have said anything.  I would have just listened to him.  I’d be far more interested in hearing what he has to say.   I’ve never been a Michael Vick fan, by the way.  I don’t really consider myself one, now, either.  I just think the time has come to let this guy try and do something good in the community — if he succeeds, everyone wins, including him.  Thanks for the note.

______________________________________________

Hey Drew,

Is the Senior Tour really so much easier that a guy like Fred Couples can come out and win twice in four starts to start the season?

Bill Rivers

Bill,

The courses on the Champions Tour are much shorter (300-400 yards) than the PGA Tour courses and the green speeds are slower too…and a shaky putter in the last 4-5 years is the only reason why Fred didn’t play better on “the big Tour”.  For someone like Couples, who drives it well and still hits his irons in the middle of the clubface, the Champions Tour is a walk-in-the-park.  I assume he’s going to play a fairly active schedule out there this year.  If he does, he’ll win 6 times.  BTW, don’t be surprised to see him contend at Augusta this April, although I doubt his nerves with the putter will allow him to win.

________________________________________________

Drew,

You guys at WNST always talk about freedom of speech but I know for a fact John in Timonium isn’t allowed to call the station anymore.  What did he ever do to you to get banned from the station?

No name provided  (EDIT from DF: of course)

No name,

What do you mean he’s “not allowed” to call the station?  It’s a free country, he can call anyone he wants.  I have no idea why John doesn’t call my show anymore.  Somehow, I’ve survived.  I seem to recall he always had some kind of wisecrack to make, which is actually OK, because Rick in Reisterstown tries to be a wise guy too.  Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t.  If John has a contribution to make and isn’t trying to imitate Rick from Reisterstown, he can call me anytime he wants.  I haven’t heard from the dude in years.  Is he even still in Baltimore?

_______________________________________________

Drew:

Who are you taking to win the NCAA tournament?

Tim

Tim,

Impossible to say until I see the brackets, but I think Kansas is the team to beat.

________________________________________________

Drew,

It looks like you were right about Tiger Woods playing in the Masters.  How do you think he’ll do?  I say he misses the cut.

Chris in Abingdon

Chris,

I think it depends on whether or not he plays any kind of event before The Masters.  But I’ll say this no matter what:  I can’t see him winning.  I think a top 10 would be a monumental feat for him given what he’s gone through and given that he hasn’t played a hole of golf that’s mattered since mid-November.  Should be interesting if nothing else.  At least if he plays, they won’t have to put an asterisk next to the winner’s name, which they would have been forced to do if Woods would have sat out the event.   Thanks for the note.

______________________________________________

Drew,

I heard you say on this morning’s show (Friday) that your next Ravens mock draft will NOT have them taking Kyle Wilson, the cornerback from Boise State.  What happened there?  Who do you think they’ll take?

Jeff

Jeff,

I can’t give away my next mock draft (which will appear next Wednesday).  I’ll just give you this as a hint:  They’ll HAVE to take someone else besides Wilson, how’s that sound?  Thanks for listening.  Check the blog next Wednesday.

___________________________________________________

Drew,

Settle a water cooler argument for me please.  If you could take one player in major league baseball to start your team right now, who would it be? Any player.

Jeff Scheeler

Jeff,

No doubt about this one.  Albert Puljos.

________________________________________________

Drew,

Missed you at the Blast reunion night last week.  I was a Blast and Spirit season ticket holder in the 80’s and the 90’s and I know you put in a lot of hours there at the Arena.  I was happy to see Chris Vaccaro go into the Hall of Fame but I didn’t realize until I saw the banner last week that Scott Manning isn’t in the teams Hall of Fame.  How is that possible?  Do the voters hold a grudge or something?

Rick Panto

Rick,

Good to hear from you!  I remember you and your daughter going with us to Cleveland a couple of times.  I assume she’s all grown up by now!  All I know about the Manning issue is that he and Ed Hale had some kind of falling out five or six years ago and I remember Kevin Healey coming on my show one day and being honest about it and just saying “Scott’s not getting in”.  I don’t know what happened, but it’s not really a Blast Hall of Fame if Scott Manning isn’t in there.  He’s the 2nd or 3rd best indoor soccer player in the history of the entire 30-year franchise.  Someday, hopefully, they’ll get it right and let him in there.  Vaccaro and Ercoli both deserved their honor last weekend.

________________________________________________

Drew,

I really enjoyed your blog about Michael Vick, Tiger, Ben Rothelsberger and Dontae Stallworth.  There’s nothing wrong with wanting those people to do well.  They’ve all made good contributions at one time or another in their life and they’ve all now done something to bring shame to themself. I hope you do more work and blogs like that in the future, because people need to see that you can always forgive someone if it’s in your heart to do so.  Thanks again for supporting those guys.

George Fields, Hampstead

George,

Thanks for the e-mail.  I’m just tired of hearing people beat those guys up, that’s all.  They’ve each screwed up royally.  Their lives have probably been forever changed.   They have a lot of “making up” to do.  But while they’re TRYING to do good for themselves, their family and their community, let’s leave them alone and let them do their work.  Enough is enough.

The Orioles actually open the season in Tampa Bay on April 6, but return home on Friday, April 9  (3:05 pm) to host the Toronto Blue Jays in the club’s 2010 home opener.

Anyone want to go?

I’m planning on going.

And I’d like to take 16 of you with me.

Here’s the deal, as quickly as I can summarize it.  Settle in, it’s going to take longer than it should.  Doesn’t it always?

About a month ago, I purchased 18 tickets to opening day.

I bought them with my own money.  I have the receipts to prove it.

The seats are in Section 308 (upper deck) and all 18 are roughly together.  None of the seats are separated, meaning they’re perfect for “groups of two”.

Here’s where you come in.

I’m taking my nearly-3-year-old son, Ethan, to his first major league game that day.  He’s crazy about basketball (”Daddy, can we play basketball hoops?” he asks me every night) and he owns his own golf bag, clubs, putter and hits plastic - and real - golf balls all over the house.  On April 9, 2010, I’m going to introduce him to Orioles baseball.

And I’m looking for eight other “parent/child” teams to attend the game with Ethan and I.

The only catch:  It MUST be your son or daughter’s first-ever Orioles game. (Full disclosure: Ethan’s been to an Ironbirds game, although he was only one year old at the time.  He wouldn’t remember it, obviously.)

I’m willing to take 16 of you with me.  There’s no charge for the tickets.  This is my gift to you and your child.  I bought the tickets myself.  I own them.  No sponsor gave them to me.  Or paid for them.  I bought all of them through TicketMaster about 4 weeks ago.  I have the hard tickets in my possession.

And I’d really like to have a bunch of you join me for your son or daughter’s first-ever Orioles game on April 9. We’ll meet up somewhere around 1pm or so for a snack, a diaper change (if they’re young) and a group photo.  Who knows, we might even shoot some WNSTv that day as well.

I’m looking for 8 “teams of two” to go with Ethan and I on April 9.

I don’t care what the “parent/child combination” is…it can be dad/son, dad/daughter, mom/son or mom/daughter. You are ALL on the honor system here.  Please don’t take advantage of this situation by bringing your child along if it’s not his/her first-ever Orioles game.

But if you’d like to join Ethan and I on April 9, we’d love to have you.

Oh, there IS one more catch.  It’s kind of important, actually.

Usually the kids get the homework assignment when it comes to getting some kind of special treat, right?  ”OK, write a 300 word essay on such-and-such” and you’ll get the tickets.”

Not this time.

I want to hear from Mom or Dad on this one.

Write ANYTHING you want about your child or children.  It’s going to get published (or I at least own the right to publish it on the web-site), so please understand that from the start.  I want you to write an essay about your children…tell me about them/him/her…tell me about the thrill of watching them enter the world…tell me how much they’ve enriched your life and your family’s life.

I want you to write an essay and brag about how great your child is/children are…the more you brag and the more you write, the better.

I’ll write my own “Ethan Essay” in the next couple of weeks.  After all, I can’t ask you to do it if I’m not willing to do it too.

I shouldn’t have to mention this, but I think I will, since I’m sure I’ll inevitably have to answer an e-mail or a blog comment about the circumstances surrounding my media credential.  Some of my critics with suspicious minds will wonder, for sure, if I’m putting this “group of first timers” together in an attempt to somehow curry favor with the Orioles in hopes of getting my media credential back that the O’s took from me three years ago.

Here’s the lowdown:  I don’t want the credential in 2010.  I’m not even going to apply for it when the e-mail submission form comes around in a week or two.  I’m instructing the powers-that-be at WNST who fill out the information (I’m no longer allowed to communicate one-on-one with the Orioles, per-their-policy) to NOT include me on the list this year when it comes time to file for season media credentials.

I’ve been lied to by those people again this Spring…OPENLY lied to - with e-mails from the team to prove it…and I understand now that this behavior from them is NEVER, EVER going to change.  They’re incapable of treating me professionally.

So, while I can’t ever enjoy getting lied to professionally, I CAN get excited about doing something fun with Ethan on a personal level.

I’m going to opening day with Ethan - and taking 16 of you with me - and will most certainly enjoy spending the day with my son because it’s the one thing I can still do at the ballpark that no one can stop me from doing.

I don’t want their credential.  I won’t take it, in fact, even if somehow pigs fly and they decide to grace me with a season credential.

I hope that covers the topic that I’m quite certain one or more of my naysayers will bring to the table.

I’m done fighting with the Orioles, professionally, because all they do is lie — and they’re always going to win any “battle” with me because they never tell the truth.

You can read that again for emphasis:  I’m done fighting with the Orioles.  Professionally.  I don’t want their credential.  I don’t want to be around their PR people who create policies and then lie about them.

But I’m a baseball fan - and an Orioles fan - and I love my little boy and I want him to grow up loving baseball the way my Mom and Dad helped me learn the game and love the game.

So I plan on going out to the ballpark A LOT this spring and summer with Ethan.  We’ll do the Dad-Son thing and have a lot of fun.

Oh, I also bought 18 tickets each to the May 18 home game against Kansas City and the June 29 home game against Oakland.  And I’ll take 16 more of you to those two game as well.  I’ll come up with some other distribution/reward method for those games at a later date.

I assume it will be easy to find eight moms or eight dads who want to take their son or daughter to the April 9 game.  Please submit your essay to me at my WNST e-mail address:  drew@wnst.net -  I will contact the eight “winners” no later than April 1st.

By the way, there are still THOUSANDS of tickets available for opening day if you’re interested in buying some yourself.  This isn’t the “old days” where opening day tickets are scarce and only the privileged have access to them.

I bought 18 of them.

Ethan and I look forward to having a great day with 16 of you on April 9.

Get those essays in to me.

So please tune in on Friday (either at 7:30 am or 8:30am) and I’ll give you the information on a special “Orioles-related” announcement.

It is, after all, almost baseball season in Baltimore.

With that in mind…shouldn’t we all (ahem) “make plans to go the ballpark”?

I think so.

Maybe I’m just getting older.  Well, I’m DEFINITELY getting older.  What I mean…is that maybe my old(er) age is starting to soften me up a bit.

A lot of this contemplation started last week when those bunch of goofs down in College Park taunted Duke’s Jon Scheyer with the “F*** You Scheyer” chant all night.  It was not only completely bush league and inappropriate, but Jon Scheyer didn’t deserve that kind of treatment at all.  It was a sad night for Maryland, to represent the school like that, and a sad night for Jon Scheyer.

And there’s no doubt this week’s visit by Michael Vick has something do with it, too.  A Monday e-mail exchange with “Pamela” - she wanted me to join “her group” in protesting Vick at Martin’s West - aggravated me to no end.  This woman’s main goal on Monday was to make Vick’s life miserable.  I kept wondering to myself, “you’re really going to spend four hours of your life trying to embarrass this dude when he’s already done more than enough to embarrass himself?” 

Whatever the case…as I soften up…I have to admit this.  And I’m admitting it mainly because I’m sort of discovering it in myself as I think and write about it.  I’m pulling for Michael Vick.  And Donte’ Stallworth.  And Ben Roethlisberger.  And Tiger Woods.

I hope all four of them find happiness.  Yep.  You read that right.  I want them all to be happy.

And I’m not going to pile on.  At least not when it pertains to off-the-field stuff.  I’ll definitely giggle if Big Ben throws a pick to Lardarius Webb in the final moments of a game next year between the Steelers and Ravens — and we’ll revel it about it on the air — but in terms of jumping to stupid conclusions and writing or saying stuff like “Ben Rapistberger” and making light of his potentially life-altering situation in Georgia…I think I’ll pass. 

In their own individual way, each of the four has a problem of a different nature.  Vick was incarcerated for his role in a dog fighting business that he both bankrolled and operated.  He lost nearly everything he had worked for…and his freedom…and his job.  Stallworth had too much to drink one night and drove his vehicle into a man and killed him.  I’m not sure if Donte Stallworth had a drinking problem, per-se.  Perhaps he was just incredibly unlucky that morning.  Wrong place, wrong time.  But he has a new problem now.  He was responsible for another person’s death. That’s not something I’d like to deal with, I know that for sure.  I have no idea what the end-result will be with Roethlisberger’s current issue in Georgia, but this is apparent: Ben likes to drink alcohol.  A lot of men (and women) do.  But it would appear, based on not only the Georgia incident but other stories that are now being told in Pittsburgh, that Ben doesn’t know when to STOP drinking.  That’s a problem.  And Tiger Woods is going through the most embarrassing of public floggings, having now confessed to numerous affairs and encounters with women all over the country.  While it hasn’t cost Woods his worth, the damage he’s done to his family, his brand and his legacy will take years (and years) to patch up.  And he might not ever be the same…on and off the course.

I’m rooting for all four of those guys to get their lives straightened out and I’m pulling for each of them to rise back to greatness.

I’m rooting for those four guys in the exact same way I’ve been rooting for Todd Bozeman over the last five years.  Bozeman showed up in Baltimore on the heels of a humiliating public dismissal after being caught cheating at Cal and was rooted AGAINST when he set up shop over at Morgan State.  People in this town, even, hoped he would fail.

Not me.  I pulled for Todd Bozeman and I’m glad I did.  I know him now, having interviewed him a bunch of times, and I’m as impressed with him OFF the court as I am with him ON the court.

But back to the likes of Vick and the others who are experiencing, in different ways, their own personal downfall.

I’m tired of reading, watching and hearing people wish ill will on those four.  And while I think it’s always fair to chronicle what they’ve done, why they’ve done it and what the proper punishment might be if, in fact, they face some sort of criminal charge and/or punitive action from their league or team, I think I’m officially done HOPING that someone fails.

Actually, it’s not “I think I’m officially done” — make that, “I’m officially done” hoping someone fails.

And I don’t care if the person plays for the Yankees, the Steelers, the Redskins, the Flyers, Duke or any other “rival” of the teams we all love to root against.  I might want them to lose ON THE FIELD, but I don’t want anyone to fail personally — as a father, a husband, a son, a daughter, etc.  I hope the Ravens beat the Steelers 27-0 and 27-0 next year.  But I also hope Ben Roethlisberger can remedy his apparent drinking problem. 

As I read the newspaper, magazines and editorial content on the internet, all I’m seeing these days are folks reveling in someone’s misfortune.

Here in Baltimore, for example, a huge majority of folks think it’s FUNNY that Ben Roethlisberger has experienced this downfall with the 20-year old female in Georgia.  A group of nearly 200 protesters stood outside of Martin’s West on Monday night with signs criticizing Michael Vick’s appearance at the Ed Block Courage Award dinner.

I don’t think Ben Roethlisberger’s story is funny.  You might.  A lot of people do, evidently.  It’s not funny…it’s sad. It’s sad that alcohol has apparently taken control of this young man’s life in certain situations.  It’s sad that some young lady had to drop out of college in Georgia because of the harrassment and humiliation she was enduring once word leaked out she was the girl in question with Roethlisberger.  There’s nothing funny about the story.  Nothing at all.  If law enforcement officials deem that Roethlisberger’s behavior violated the law, he’ll have to face his day in court and what will be, will be.  But I don’t wish ill will on him.  I hope he gets his life straightened out and makes it a point to discuss the (negative) impact that consuming too much alcohol had on his life.

I hope Michael Vick is successful too.  As I mentioned on Monday when discussing his situation, how much lower does a man have to go before people will say, “OK, you’ve had enough misery heaped on you”?  While he continues to move on with the “next chapter” of his life, I can honestly say I think Michael Vick, somehow, will have his shining moment at some point in the near future.

Donte’ Stallworth is in the beginning stages of rebuilding his life.  Who knows what lies ahead for him?  This time next year, he could be the Ravens’ Ed Block award winner for all we know.  I hope Donte’ Stallworth finds peace.  What he does on the football field is neither here nor there at this point.  His story and message about the perils of drinking and driving is now far more important than any pass he might catch in Baltimore or anywhere else for that matter.  I have taken a hard stance against folks who drink and drive.  My wife and I were hit by a drunk driver on November 12, 2006.  But I know Donte’ Stallworth would do anything to change that morning in Miami when he made the mistake of putting his car in drive after having too much to drink.  And he’s going to pay for that mistake forever.  I wish him nothing but success from here on in.

As for Tiger, no matter how many Saturday Night Live spoofs are aired, there’s nothing funny about what’s happened to him and his family over the last three months.  It’s sad.  In fact, it’s one of the saddest stories in sports of the last decade.  Role model athlete turned character-flawed scallywag.  I hope he and his wife find happiness and I hope his children grow up in a loving home.  What happens to him in golf is neither here nor there.  He’ll get whatever the game gives him, I suppose.  In life, though, I’m pulling for Tiger.  I hope he and his family wind up happy.

I’m tired of people laughing at the misfortunes of others.

I need to do a better job, personally, of making sure I’m not in that club.  In fact, I can guarantee you I’m NOT going to be in that club.

I’m not hear preaching to you about how you should conduct yourself.  Not at all.  I don’t really care what you think about Vick, Tiger, Ben or Donte’.  If you want to pile on, go right ahead.

I’m just letting you know I’m not piling on anymore. 

I’m not going to make fun of Roethlisberger on the air.  Or Woods.  Or Stallworth.  Or anyone else who encounters their own personal bump in the road.  I’ll cover, discuss and critique their behavior, their performance and anything else topical to sports talk.  But “hoping” Roethlisberger’s career is ruined?  Not gonna be a party to that.  Hoping Woods hits rock bottom…loses his wife and kids?  No chance I’m going to wish for that.  Protesting Michael Vick and saying he doesn’t deserve another day of happiness in his life?  Nope…not from this guy.

I’m reading and hearing a lot of “mean-spirited” stuff these days.  Folks really do enjoy seeing someone’s life fall apart.  That’s a sickness in and of itself, I’d say.

That’s one of the reasons why I took such an exception to the Ravens fan who was photographed urinating on Bob Irsay’s grave and then shipped the pictures out on the internet for everyone to see.  That brought shame to the purple…to the Ravens…to Steve Bisciotti…to Ozzie Newsome…and it was done in some apparent gesture of “speaking on behalf of Baltimore football fans”.  Well, that guy wasn’t speaking for Drew.  Urinating on someone’s grave is unacceptable to ME.

Speaking of doing something completely unacceptable, Howard Stern brought together a bunch of women who confessed to having sex with Tiger Woods and had a “Mistress Beauty Pagent” for them on Wednesday of this week. He brought them all in studio, scantily clad, and had each of them confess the wild and dirty sex secrets of Tiger Woods. And he gave the winner $75,000.

Howard Stern is wildly successful.  He’s arguably the most popular radio DJ of my lifetime.  He helped MAKE satellite radio.

And Wednesday, he gave $75,000 to someone who came on the air and basically reveled in the fact that she helped contribute to Tiger Woods’ personal and professional downfall.

How many charities in our country could have used that $75,000?  I assume there’s a homeless shelter in New York City that could have greatly benefitted from Stern’s generosity, right?

It’s a sad day in our country when a woman who played a part in (almost) wrecking a family gets a $75,000 check and a place like the St. Vincent’s Center in Baltimore needs - and uses - every dime they can get to help abused children.

Take a walk around your neighborhood tonight and look at the front door of all the people living around you. There’s strife, sadness, tough times and futility of some kind in almost every home in America — if you’re lucky, it’s minimal.

I’m fortunate — very much so — that I don’t have a lot of internal issues behind my front door.  My wife misplaced her cell phone in our house last weekend.  That’s the biggest battle we’ve faced this week.  We can’t find it and it’s driving us nuts.  Other than that, we’re blessed.

If this is what happens when you get old, getting soft and all, I guess I’ll have to deal with it.

I just don’t see the point in wishing ill will on these people who have fallen on hard times, no matter if it’s due to their own bad luck, stupidity, selfishness or personal addiction.

I wish them all — Vick, Stallworth, Woods and Roethlisberger — the best.

I can honestly say, without question, I’m rooting for all four of them to bounce back.

Enough with profiling B-Rob, Wieters, Markakis, etc.

Let’s find someone that MIGHT be a late March casualty and take our chances, shall we?

I say Ty Wigginton is coming north with the team in April.

And I say he deserves to come north.  I say, in fact, “he better come north” (especially after I’ve written this).

Odds he’ll be on the roster at the start of the season: 100%

Odds he’ll be on the roster at the end of the season: 50%

Odds he’ll be an effective contributor in 2010:  70%

Odds his name will be mentioned at the trade deadline in late July:  30%

Summary: OK, let’s get it started.  Ty Wigginton is a good player.  He’s not a great player.  He can be replaced.  He’s not a guy some team will come calling for in late July, which is why I listed him as “30%” in the trade-mention probability above.  Are you a Ty Wigginton fan?  I am.  I think he adds a lot to the team. He’s definitely not a starter — unless injuries dictate it — but he’s a valuable commodity defensively and when he plays regularly, is OK with the bat.  Notice I wrote “OK” with the bat. He’s not a .300 hitter.  He’s not going to hit 3 HR’s in a 4-game series against anyone.  But he’s a good man to have on your team. How many different positions did he play last year?  3?  No.  4?  Nope.  5?  You’re getting closer. Wigginton played SIX different positions last year…five defensively and one (DH) at the plate.  How many errors did he commit in the 98 games he played in the field in ‘09?  A grand total of four.  Ty Wigginton is better than you think he is.  At the plate, he is what is.  He’s a .270 hitter with limited power (11 HR) and he strikes out way more than he walks, for sure.  He’s not necessarily the guy you want coming up in the 8th inning when you’re trailing 4-2 with 2 outs and you have runners on 2nd and 3rd.  But he MIGHT be the guy you want to come up in the 8th inning when you’re trailing 4-1 and you need someone to get a hit to start your rally.  He’s that kind of player.  He’s an under-the-radar kind of dude.

I think his playing role will be reduced in 2010 with the additions of Tejada and Atkins, hence the reduction in production that you will note below.  That said, someone always gets hurt and Wigginton can fill in just about anywhere in the infield, albeit for a short time only, and even in the outfield if called upon.

He better come north in April.

Drew’s projections for Wigginton in 2010:

* .263 average

* 8 HR

* 30 RBI

I’m not protesting Michael Vick’s appearance, though.

I’m protesting the protesters who are promising to be on hand to publicly show their disdain for Vick’s selection as this year’s honoree from the Philadelphia Eagles.  My form of protest is simple:  I’m not going to the event.  It will be the first time in 9 years that I won’t be at Martin’s West, but I’m not going out there tonight and watch a bunch of goofs foul up what is otherwise always looked upon as one of the highlights of the Baltimore spring sports calendar.

According to someone who rattled my cage throughout Monday via e-mail, “a large number” of people will be on hand tonight to protest Vick’s appearance.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……………………

Wake me up when these do-gooders actually wind up doing something useful with their time.

I’m not against a good, solid protest of sorts.  I remember one back in September of 2006 that started the revival of the Orioles franchise.  A good protest can be effective.

But what these creeps are doing tonight at Martin’s West isn’t a “good” protest at all.  It’s silly.  And it’s completely out-of-line, based mainly on the fact that it takes away from the efforts of the 32 players (or, the 31 players, if you discount any good deed that Vick has done over the last 9 months since being released from prison.)

Someone identifying herself as “Pamela” e-mailed me early Monday morning to invite me to the protest tonight.  For the record, she never identified herself as being attached to PETA or any other animal-rights affiliated organization.  In each of her e-mails (six in all), she always referred to her gathering of people as “my group”.  She wanted me to stand alongside the road leading up to Martin’s West to join her group in offering Vick a rude awakening when he approaches the building.  ”We have signs that speak louder than any words we can use,” Pamela wrote me.  She also mentioned her group had purchased a number of tables for the event and would make their disgust for Vick known when his name is announced to collect his award.

That’s where they’ve stepped over the line.

Personally, I have no problem with folks standing along the road and yelling and waving signs when Vick enters the facility.  It’s a public road…they can do whatever they want.  And it’s not like Michael Vick isn’t going to see this kind of behavior for a long, long time.  No matter where he goes from here, at least for the forseeable future, he’s going to have people yelling at him for his past transgressions.  He’s so accustomed to it by now I doubt he even gives the protesters he sees tonight a second thought.  ”Oh, more people standing around yelling at me for something I’m supposed to be working hard to make amends for…yawn…tell them to take a number.”

But roadside protesting is fine.  I see its merit, even if I’m not interested in doing it.  People want to make a name for themselves and they want to give off the appearance they’re doing God’s work by letting these criminals know they have a long road ahead before they’ll be forgiven by the general public.  They’d do a lot more good volunteering their time at a local soup kitchen or, even, at a children’s center for abused boys and girls…instead of hootin’ and hollerin’ about this guy who served time in jail and is now trying to walk the right path.

So, if you want to stand along the road and wave signs, go right ahead. (”Ain’t that America…for you and me…Ain’t that America, home of the free, baby…”)

But protesting IN THE BUILDING, during the dinner, is completely inappropriate and undermines the efforts of everyone being honored.

It’s no longer a banquet dedicated to the hard work and courage shown by the award winners.  It’s now an event where a group of people are going to shine the spotlight on ONE player for all the wrong reasons and completely overshadow the other 31.

It’s wrong.

And that’s what I told Pamela yesterday when she continued to chase after me about being “upstanding” and “community and civic minded” and wanted to know why I don’t care enough to have a presence at the event.

Answer:  Because the event is about rewarding NFL football players.  It’s not about pissing on a guy for a past criminal act.

So I’m protesting tonight by not going, and that’s a shame, really, because the good folks at the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation deserve everyone’s support both this evening and throughout the year.

But I’m not going to go out there and feel uncomfortable - for Michael Vick…or any of the players on hand - and fake as if I’m enjoying myself when, in fact, the in-the-building catcalls, booing or derisive cheers will do nothing at all to serve the common purpose of helping the abused children at the St. Vincent’s Children’s Center.

When someone can tell me exactly how embarrassing Michael Vick tonight helps the kids at St. Vincent’s, perhaps I’ll change my mind.

But since no one can do that, I think I’ll just sit home for the first time in 9 years.

And that’s how Felix Pie will start the 2010 season…waiting (hoping) for someone to get injured or go through some extended slump where skipper Dave Trembley decides to give Pie a week’s worth of work just to shake things up.

Pie started the 2009 season as Andy MacPhail’s pet project and went through a season worth of ups and downs that included hitting for the cycle, forgetting to throw the ball into the infield while he was in centerfield during a game in Florida and generally drawing the wrath of Trembley due to his occasional lack of fundamentals.

That said, Pie definitely made progress as the 2009 rolled on and proved a capable 4th outfielder, although there’s little doubt he’s much more adept at playing center than left.

With Nolan Reimold’s questionable status to start the ‘10 campaign and Luke Scott’s only-average-nothing-more defensive abilities in left field, Pie could see plenty of playing time when the season starts in April.  It will be up to him to make the most of it.

Odds he’ll be on the roster when the season starts: 100%

Odds he’ll be on the roster when the season ends: 90%

Odds he’ll be an effective contributor in 2010:  60%

Odds his name will be mentioned at the trade deadline in late July: 25%

Summary: Pie remains one of the team’s most puzzling players.  While he has plenty of tools, he’s trying to fit in with a club that has a strong obligation to its right fielder and center fielder and hopes to make Reimold into an everyday-type left fielder who perhaps doubles as the team’s clean-up hitter someday down the road.  Pie has great speed, which makes him valuable in late game situations, and he can hit right handed pitching.  For most of 2009, though, he hit below .200 against left handers, but a late-season surge against southpaws brought his average up to .250 in that category.  So what does Pie have to do to break into the regular lineup?  Probably hope for Reimold to start the season at Triple-A Norfolk (due to his achilles recovery)…and then hit the cover off the ball for the first 20 games of the season…and make it nearly impossible for Trembley to sit him when Nolan’s ready to return to Baltimore.  Failing that, or some kind of major injury to one of the other outfielders, Pie will probably see roughly 300-350 plate appearances and that’s not going to be enough to make a decision on his long term viability in Baltimore.  The Orioles other secret hope MIGHT be that Pie has a good first half, hits for average, sees his power numbers go up, and then someone comes along at the deadline looking for a pitcher and “something else” (a left-handed bat) and the Birds can parlay Pie’s decent 2010 into decent trade value in late July.

Drew’s projections for Pie in 2010:

* .274 average

* 12 HR

* 44 RBI

Is that the saying?

Thought so.

In 2010, there’s no doubt the O’s hopeful rise towards the .500 mark for the first time since “Wild Bill” was President rests mainly in the overall success of the starting pitchers.

And one of the young men on the hot seat is Brad Bergesen. He was the first of the gang to go north last spring, showing up in late April after Alfredo Simon’s elbow blew out and Adam Eaton’s ERA blew up.  All “Bergy” did was mow down the White Sox in his major league debut on 4/22/09 and conclude his first ML campaign by pitching into the 6th inning in 18 of his 19 starts.  Before getting drilled on the knee by a line drive on July 30, he was on pace to throw at least 175 innings and would have had double figures in wins for sure had he pitched at all over the last two months of the campaign.  He finished the season with a sparkling 3.43 ERA, nearly a run per-game less than the league average.  And don’t forget, he did that while playing on one of the worst teams in the Majors.

Odds he’ll be on the roster at the start of the season: 100%

Odds he’ll be on the roster at the end of the season:  100%

Odds he’ll be an effective contributor in 2010:  75%

Odds his name will be mentioned at the trade deadline in late July:  20%

Summary:  His 2009 numbers speak volumes about his potential.  Reliable, as noted by the 18 of 19 starts with at least six innings, stingy with baserunners (his WHIP was only 1.281) and equally hesitant to walk anyone (33 walks in 19 starts), the only blip on his pitching screen is his low strike-out total (65 k’s a year ago).  But Bergesen is a bulldog-type on the mound, something the O’s will need in 2010 when facing the beasts of the A.L. East.  He doesn’t give up regardless of the count and when he gets ahead of the hitter, that nifty down and away slider to right handed batters is one of the best out-pitches anyone possesses on the entire roster.

Because the Orioles don’t have a lot of “sweat equity” invested him - as opposed to the draft cost attached to guys like Matusz and Arrieta - there’s always a chance he could be packaged with a veteran player at the deadline.  I doubt that happens, based solely on what I saw last year, but let’s just say Arrieta comes up this May and has 12 decent starts and the O’s make a pitch for their own veteran at the deadline.  It wouldn’t be completely out of the question to package Bergesen with someone else in late July, although I highly doubt that happens.

I think Bergesen is a keeper.  I like his mentality on the mound and he’s certainly going to benefit from having Millwood hanging around preaching the gospel of how to pitch in the big leagues.  In my mind, he’s better than either Hernandez or Berken, by a long shot, and I’d say Chris Tillman has a leap or two to make to be as reliable and competitive as Bergesen.

Because he only threw 123 innings in 2009, the “Verducci Rule” (not allowing young pitchers to throw 30 more innings than their previous year) might limit him to 175′ish in 2010.  But if he gives the O’s 175 quality innings, they’ll be well on their way to .500.

Drew’s projections for Bergesen in 2010:

* 166 innings

* 12-11 record

* 4.01 ERA

* 1.250 WHIP