The Orioles certainly didnโt show the Phillies any โBrotherly Loveโ by completing a three-game sweep this weekend.
I attended the first two games of the series on Friday and Saturday night and had a great time. Citizens Bank Park may lack the charm of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, but the wide-open concourse is an excellent feature for those wanting to grab a snack or cold beverage without missing a pitch.
It was a pleasure meeting many of the rabid Orioles fans on the WNST/Miller Lite Bus Trip, and it was even better high-fiving and celebrating the closing moments of Saturday nightโs comeback win with them!
Here are the 5 Wโs and 1 H for the week:
1. Who will be the best player not named Blake Griffin to come out of this yearโs NBA Draft?
The 2009 NBA Draft takes place on Thursday night, and the Los Angeles Clippers have already committed to taking power forward Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), the surest thing in this yearโs draft class, with the No. 1 pick.
After Griffin, there is plenty of talent but many question marks. From Connecticutโs Hasheem Thabeet to international point guard Ricky Rubio to Davidsonโs Stephen Curry, there is potential, but none are regarded as a sure thing. Some NBA executives are calling this one of the worst drafts in recent memory.
If I had to choose a rookie from this class other than Griffin, Iโd take a chance on Curry. His heroic run in the 2008 NCAA tournament put him on the map, and he followed it up by leading the nation in scoring last season (28.6 points per game).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9vmoQ5WABU[/youtube]
Though Curry lacks the ideal size (6-3) and athleticism for the NBA, his strong pedigreeโheโs the son of former NBA player Dell Curryโand fundamentals will allow him to become a successful pro. He wonโt become an All-Star, but Curry will be a solid addition to an NBA team.
2. What was the best Orioles game you ever attended?
Saturday nightโs win has to be one of the top five or six Orioles games Iโve ever attended. Yes, thatโs pretty sad, but when you consider I was two weeks old when the Orioles last won the World Series, you can probably begin to understand.
My choice for the best game Iโve attended was a 7-5, 10-inning victory over the New York Yankees on June 3, 1997. The Orioles were in the midst of their wire-to-wire run for the American League East title, and Rafael Palmeiro hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to put the Orioles ahead by 8.5 games in the division.
Walking out of the ballpark while gloating among the Yankees fans was a great feelingโand is nearly a forgotten one 12 years later.
3. Where is the best starting rotation in the Oriolesโ organization?
Though the starting pitching in Baltimore has improved, I am still eagerly looking at the rotation in Triple-A Norfolk. The Tides currently have four of the top pitching prospects in the organization with Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, David Hernandez, and Troy Patton.
While itโs doubtful that all four will crack the starting rotation by seasonโs end, I wouldnโt be surprised to see these four, along with Brad Bergesen, making up the starting rotation by this time next season. Obviously, thereโs no guaranteeโand itโs quite unlikelyโtheyโll all become successful big league starters, but itโs clear the Orioles have come a long way from the days of counting on one prospect like Rocky Coppinger or Matt Riley to save the rotation.
Weโve heard quite a bit about these names over the last two years, so itโs exciting to see them at the Triple-A level and on the verge of making the jump to the big leagues.
4. When was the last time the Orioles earned an interleague sweep on the road?
Before this weekendโs sweep of the Phillies, the Orioles last completed an interleague road sweep against the Atlanta Braves in June 1999.
The Orioles completed the three-game set by beating the Braves, 22-1, on a nationally televised Sunday night game. This was Cal Ripkenโs famous six-hit game that earned several standing ovations from the Turner Field crowd over the course of the night.
Mike Mussina earned the win over Atlantaโs John Smoltz, capping off one of the few highlights of the 1999 season.
5. Why did Dave Trembley allow Danys Baez to pitch to Ryan Howard in the seventh inning on Saturday night?
I certainly was celebrating the exciting comeback win on Saturday night, but it didnโt excuse Trembleyโs terrible decision to pitch to Howard with a base open and two outs in the seventh inning. Yes, walking Howard would have put the go-ahead run in scoring position, but the pitcherโs spot was on deck, and the Phillies sent Carlos Ruiz to the plate after Howardโs three-run shot. Howard is hitting .299 against right-handed pitching, so the matchup against Baez wasnโt favorable in that regard either.
Just a hunch, but Iโd take my chances facing Ruiz with the bases loaded instead of Howard.
I was sitting with Nestor Aparicio and my friend Mikeโtwo of the most knowledgeable baseball fans I knowโand all three of us immediately said it was the wrong move. A few moments later, Howard confirmed our fears.
Saturdayโs win was a great example of a team bailing out its manager. The decisions to allow Gregg Zaun and Oscar Salazar to hit in the ninth inning worked out, but they did not cancel out the decision to pitch to one of the best power hitters in the gameโwhether he had the flu or not.
I hope Trembley personally thanked Brian Roberts for saving his bacon. Regardless of the big win, it was the wrong decision.
6. How likely are the Ravens to make a serious play for Brandon Marshall?
Not very.
John Harbaugh, Ozzie Newsome, and the Ravens are very serious about avoiding players with questionable character, and Marshallโregardless of his immense talentโfits that description. When you also consider the team would have to surrender high draft picks and doesnโt have the salary cap room to afford the $7-9 million per year Marshall is seeking, it really becomes an easy decision.
Marshallโs dispute with the Denver Broncos is different from quarterback Jay Cutlerโs, because it is not based on a conflict with new head coach Josh McDaniels; it simply comes down to wanting more money.
The Pro Bowl receiver is scheduled to become a free agent after the season, but an uncapped year in 2010 would change his status dramatically. Since an uncapped system would change the number of years before free agency from four to six, Marshall would remain under the Broncosโ control for two more yearsโas a restricted free agentโand would not become an unrestricted free agent until after the 2011 season. The Broncos hold all of the leverage in this situation, so Marshall desperately wants a new deal before that happens.
When you consider all of these factors, I would be surprised to see Marshall in Baltimoreโor anywhere else other than Denverโthis September.
*****
I hope all of the fathers out there had a great Fatherโs Day. This is a tough day for me after losing my dad in 2004, but I have numerous great memoriesโmany centering around the Ravens, Orioles, and Terpsโto cherish.
He deserves more credit than anyone for cultivating my passion for Baltimore sports. Iโm sure he would have loved this weekend in Philadelphia.
Have a great Monday.
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Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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- AL east, Baltimore, brad bergesen, brandon marshall, Brian Roberts, Cal Ripken, Chris Tillman, connecticut, danys baez, Dave Trembley, David Hernandez, Denver Broncos, Gregg Zaun, jake arrieta, John Harbaugh, NBA Draft, New York Yankees, Norfolk, oriole park at camden yards, Orioles, Oscar Salazar, ozzie newsome, Philadelphia, phillies, Ravens, Tides, Troy Patton, WNST, world series
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