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Nestor Aparicio

Big Night with the Ravens Rookies at The Bowma

Nestor Aparicio

There was lots of fun to be had last night in Carney, as we introduced the Ravens’ 2007 rookie draft class at The Bowman Restaurant. First-round pick Ben Grubbs and Iowa’s Marshal Yanda were the first two to grace the stage, discussing college rivalries and their draft day memories. Big Ben even sang the "War Eagle" fight song from Auburn. Next up were Yamon Figurs and Le’ron McClain, who drove over from Owings Mills together. Figurs — my favorite Raven for 2007, because he smiles a lot — discussed his first-ever flight into Kansas from his home state of Florida, and McClain spoke of the joys of Bear Bryant and Alabama football. Finally, Antwan Barnes and Prescott Burgess worked the room, with Barnes giving a blow by blow (or maybe a laugh by laugh) of Florida International’s brawl with Miami as well as humming the Michigan fight song. Quarterback Troy Smith was slated to attend, but had a family travel complication last night and text along his condolences and said he’d certainly get out to see the WNST.net fans this fall when we start up our full slate of Monday Night Live shows. All told, a super June night in

Five losses in a row..

Nestor Aparicio

When the Orioles go to the West Coast and play night games, it’s almost like the losses don’t count. Most people don’t watch the games, and if they’re like me, can only hang until the 5th inning at best. So, another night, another loss I didn’t see (they were up 3-0′ when I fell asleep) and another bullpen meltdown that will get blamed on Sam Perlozzo, who hasn’t thrown a pitch! Thank god for the Comcast DVR! I’ve said it many times: the uniform debate is the LEAST of their problems! Many people have written me regarding Free The Birds and whether there will be a "Free-Pete" of last September. I’m currently soliciting emails from anyone who wishes to join WNST on another march on The Warehouse. We gotta get this team back, before it’s too late. Every summer, it seems like the team slips further and further from the public consciousness and baseball becomes more and more insignificant in Baltimore. It’s especially painful this summer, with all the memories of Cal Ripken and the "real" Orioles being unearthed. Just thinking about the "glory" years only illuminates how cruddy this ownership group is and how far the product and the

Five veterans leave The Sun sports department..

Nestor Aparicio

The Baltimore Sun‘s latest buyout has found five more veteran Calvert Street "lifers" in the sports department on the outside looking in — by choice. Our sources tell us that John Eisenberg, Paul McMullen, Kent Baker, Gary Lambrecht and desk editor Mike Reeb have all elected to leave The Sun, effective yesterday. All of it came down very quickly, but there’s WELL over a century of Baltimore sports journalism walking off the plank on Calvert Street. I left the paper 15 years ago. All of these good guys were my colleagues, even back then! Eisenberg, the best sportswriter in Baltimore and it isn’t even CLOSE, will remain here and continue to write books and watch his son play ball. McMullen is a true local guy, a real Baltimorean who loves sports — especially the local colleges and high schools. I have a feeling Mac will pop up somewhere. Baker is the true sportswriter’s sportwriter — he’s covered EVERYTHING is this city over the years and "Knobby" always had a smile. Lambrecht and I have roots to Dundalk from almost 25 years ago. He was always around the Ravens in their early years, when they lost every week. We always had

If you LOVE Earl Weaver..

Nestor Aparicio

My man Suchy hit one of the greatest nerve centers in my condo on any given night… EARL WEAVER! My wife and I like to laugh — we have a helluva sense of humor — and when we wanna laugh (REALLY laugh), we don’t turn to Comedy Central or any comedian for entertainment. (Sometimes, we find any number of programming decisions on MASN to be laughable, but that’s another story altogether…) All you need is THIS LINK and you’ll will be entertained for three minutes and eight seconds. Honestly, it MIGHT be the greatest 3:08 EVER captured! This is STRICTLY an R-rated performance…Earl Weaver at his salty best, circa 1980-81 at first base at Memorial Stadium…it is VERY well recorded! There are MANY classics with Earl — as Mark Suchy pointed out — but this is the cream of the crop! Turn the sound up, enjoy and sending me an email when you stop laughing your ass off!!!

Why MASN sucks..

Nestor Aparicio

So, I’ve been back from my trip to the West Coast for all of 15 minutes. The Orioles, alas, are in SECOND PLACE…SOLE POSSESSION of second place! (I won’t bring up the actual records or the distance between them and the Red Sox — in terms of management, standings or otherwise — lest I be accused of being an "Oriole hater.") So, I put the game on (Channel 17, Comcast, "Tonight in Washington" was omitted on CSPAN2 in order to accommodate us O’s fans in tough times) in midst of the sixth inning rally. It was 3-2 when I turned it on and the Orioles were turning on the juice on Jorge De La Rosa and Jimmy Gobble. Melvin Mora — with NO ONE OUT — busted a move toward home plate on an errant throw to the third baseman after a Ramon Hernandez single into left field. Initially, Mora waltzed into third base, but upon seeing the errant relay, broke for the plate. The truth: he would have been out by three feet had the Royals’ catcher John Buck held onto the ball. Instead, the ball was bobbled ever-so-slightly, and Mora was immediately ruled safe. So, what does MASN

Greetings from Vancouver..

Nestor Aparicio

So I am wrapping up a "working/fun" weekend vacation in Seattle and Vancouver with my wife. (I brought her here as a birthday gift!) The real reason we came this way was to see The Police play their first concert in 21 years, and we did that last night at the G.M. Place, the fancy, new-ish arena downtown here in Vancouver (it’s where the NHL Canucks play!) In the midst of this bizarre trip to two remote cities, we’ve come to realize what a grip hockey has on the entire country of Canada, even here in Vancouver, where their team was eliminated two rounds ago. Tonight is a big deal in Canada, because Game 1 of the Stanley Cup between Anaheim and Ottawa is being played. We’re going to this happening sports bar/club to take in the excitement and can already anticipate quite a scene. What I can tell you is this: we got here on Saturday (a day early, long story…) but found out that a hockey tournament was being held here. It’s the Memorial Cup for the championship of the Canadian Junior Leagues. If you’re not a hockey fan, you probably wouldn’t understand Canadian Junior Hockey (I’ve been

Here’s one for the ‘Reading’ Room..

Nestor Aparicio

I’m up and having coffee and saw this great piece on espn.com about coaches and their "real" lives and families. Obviously, there have been a number of NFL coaches who have had troubled children. This piece, which starts with many observations from Brian Billick, is a must-read for any NFL fan.

The dreaded, sappy NHL airplane blog..

Nestor Aparicio

So, I’m on an airplane, reading USA Today and trying to kill time on my long flight. Up pops a story on Page 3 about Bryan Murray, who was the first big-league coach I ever covered as a media member. The story was SOOOO good…you MUST read it. It’s not about hockey as much as it is about integrity, honesty and hard work — all of my favorite things about sports and really one of the things that I loved about being around hockey. It wasn’t a "pretend" universe, like baseball. Most of the people I’ve met through the NHL over the years have been really normal, nice, mostly well-adjusted people. They certainly never acted like I was doing them a favor to be sharing the same oxygen, the way some in baseball seem to see the world. The silver-haired Bryan Murray — at 64 years of age and after 17 years of head coaching and two major stints as an NHL GM — is four wins away from achieving his lifetime goal of winning a Stanley Cup as a head coach. He is a hockey lifer and I’m pulling very hard for him and his family to win. Bryan

Perfect day for golf..

Nestor Aparicio

I want to take this time to formally thank everyone who is playing in or coming to support Drew’ charity golf tournament today at Mountain Branch. As someone who has hosted similar charity events — the Nice Guy Awards, bowling tournaments, house parties, etc. — I know how much time, effort, love and dedication goes into putting on any major event. And ya GOTTA have people — people who want to help organize the event and people who want to come and make it great! Unfortunately, I will not be attending the event today — my wife and I are taking a weekend of silence in the hinterlands  and couldn’t get a flight tomorrow — but I want everyone to know that my spirit (if not my allergies) will be at Mountain Branch later today. (Everyone knows my public and private stance on golf…but I always seem to have fun at Drew’s event when I’m not sneezing or being ask to take tee shots!) Please take LOTS of pictures…LOL!!!! Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend! If anything strange happens on my mystery trip, I’ll be sure to check in… Keep those many Free The Birds emails coming to me…

It’s not even Memorial Day..

Nestor Aparicio

And today is the first day that I’m starting to feel ambivalent about the whole 2007 Orioles campaign. Here’s a free-of-charge campaign slogan for Bob Leffler: "A Decade of Decay!" Sure, I watch them almost every night, but tonight they’re home, the game is a few blocks away, a free ticket is there for the asking — and you know what? — I just don’t feel much like watching them or going tonight. They’ve almost become uninteresting to me, because, for the 10th consecutive year, there is really no hope! I mean. I’ve given them six weeks or so, and basically, they suck like they always do! And the only drama is either steroids or losing or firing the manager or something stupid the owner (or his son) did this week — either to a media member, or the city, or the state, or a player who wants out, or a trade that’s been nixed…etc…just bulls**t that doesn’t contribute to fun OR winning baseball or good citizenship! (Editor’s note: I drove 30 minutes each way to Owings Mills today to spend a grand total of about 18 minutes on the field as the Ravens players came off. I chatted with

I gave you the Preakness exacta..

Nestor Aparicio

It would’ve paid me $23.20, or with me betting the way I generally do, I would’ve cashed a $232 ticket yesterday at Old Hilltop had I made the trip. Of course, if I was lucky, it would’ve evened me up for the day — but that’s for another Preakness. I didn’t bet the race at all, but I gave you the exacta in my blog at 1:49 p.m. yesterday. Yesterday, my wife and I watched the race on TV and were glad we weren’t there when the black clouds moved across Baltimore. Must’ve been a helluva scene out on that infield when those gigantic raindrops started rocking it around 4 p.m. But I made a PROMISE to myself that if the race actually returns — and that IS an "if" at this point — I’m going back to the Preakness next year. I’m gonna get a swanky clubhouse seat, put a hat and coat and tie on and rip it up! Just thought I’d share that — I don’t even know why? But it looked like we missed some fun yesterday, and another chance to talk Free The Birds with people as well. But we still had fun staying dry

How the Preakness has fallen..

Nestor Aparicio

Well, the race is four hours away and I’m watching the coverage on ESPN. And I thought: "Maybe I should read up on the race a bit?" I went to www.espn.com and looked for a story. And there wasn’t one on the front page! So, not only is downtown completely devoid of any rumor that there’s this thing called The Preakness being held in our city today. But it appears that the rest of the sports world is oblivious, as well, to the fact that Street Sense has a chance to continue a bid for the Triple Crown today here in Charm City at  Old Hilltop. So, ESPN has it on its TV network, but NOWHERE on the front of  their website? Strange days indeed… But I don’t think the intenet audience is real intrigued by horse racing these days…a shame! BTW: I like Curlin’ and Street Sense. P.S. I just didn’t feel like going over to the track and dealing with drunk people, crowds, lack of space…I guess I’m getting old. And honestly, it makes me sad seeing The Preakness die like this…I want to remember it when it was great, even if it means missing "the last one,"

Did anyone else see the same thing on MASN

Nestor Aparicio

I have two confirmed reports via text — one from Casey Willett — that around 8:35 a uniform appeared in the crowd and on the screen on MASN that said F.ANGELOS. My source, The Virgin, says he thought it was No. 5, but wasn’t sure if it was a Nats or an O’s. He’s at Nabbs Creek. Casey, however, ALSO didn’t have the DVR running on this. He’s out on the town with his wife at Della Roses. WTF? Does anyone have a picture of the screen they can send me with this scene? (I’ll send you to dinner!) Is it "you-tubable" or is that illegal? (I don’t even know!) Apparently the MASN staff cut away almost immediately. But I still think it’s funny! (Not that I’d EVER "encourage" this sort of activity!) But if someone spent the dough to make it, wear it AND get it on MASN. That’s a dude I wanna hang out and  eat peanuts and drink beer and go to a ballgame with! My wife and I were actually watching the game and must’ve spaced, because we WERE watching it, but not recording it. When it was 3-0, we saw that Best In Show was

Here is a guy who understands me..

Nestor Aparicio

I received this nice email this morning. I thought I’d share it with you. If you read my earlier blog, you know the disgust I’m feeling this weekend, with the demise of the Preakness and the pettiness, paranoia and stupidity the Orioles continue to display. NJA Dear Nestor,   This is Wayne (last name withheld), we spoke a bit on Draft Day at The Port Royal.  In reading your blog tonight I reinforced my opinion about you.  Your words truly convey your sincere deep sense of frustration, your writing seethes with the anger that comes from passion and the willingness to bare your soul to the world.  The continuous exercise of  asking questions that never get answered.  Questions like: "Why doesn’t everybody see this?";  or "Can’t something be done!"  The continuing thud of your head against the wall wondering why people don’t seem to care as much as you.    You speak of the Orioles, the Preakness and horse racing in general.  The Orioles’ problems are obvious to any half-wit who has followed the team during the reign of Peter Angelos.  Even the capable people who take a chance on the organization find themselves ham-strung when they formulate a cogent plan,

Orioles or Preakness…which is in WORSE shape

Nestor Aparicio

Geez…put the f***ing press release together and make the announcement, already! It’s CLEAR — the Orioles ARE (maybe) putting BALTIMORE back on the road jerseys (where it belongs) next year!  Just the fact that they are refuting it because WNST broke the story — and it’s hardly a denial, more of a "we’ll tell ya when we’re good and ready" — is almost amusing. (Peter Schmuck was joking to me earlier that it’ll be forever considered "WNST’s fault"  if they NEVER put BALTIMORE back on the road jerseys. "U screwed it up for everyone," he text me earlier!) It’s about as amusing as the fact that I’ve received media credentials from the Red Sox in Boston and the Devil Rays in Tampa Bay over the past six weeks and can openly chat with any and all of their players anytime I want, yet they have deemed me "NOT press." And that they let ALL of my employees go the games with press passes, but not me! I ran into John Patti from WBAL Radio — and one of the really good guys in our business — and he says he’s still persona nongrata, too! It’d be really amusing if it

Art Donovan gets better with age..

Nestor Aparicio

Like a fine wine — or an ice cold Schlitz — Art Donovan is a treasure that just keeps improving with age! The older he gets, the more stories he accumulates… You can hear them all tomorrow, but I’ll just say we had a helluva crowd at The Port tonight and Art Donovan still commands a room and still REALLY loves people. He looked great, sounded great and was in high spirits! I wanna thank all of the sponsors — Miller Lite, Equipment Solutions, Blue Dot Heating, Jerry’s Toyota, Towson Travel and the Hyle family at The Port — and all of the people who came out! It was a joy for ALL of us at The Port to share the evening with Art, and a pre-birthday bash in his honor. He’ll be 83 on June 5th! I think he honestly had more fun than ANY of us. He’s really a swell guy! I’m glad we got to share some time together and some laughs, especially with John Buren joining in the fun. In some ways, I feel like a carpetbagger. I think when most Baltimoreans think of Art Donovan, they think of him being on Ch. 13 with Buren.

Get off of Perlozzo, already

Nestor Aparicio

Geez, it’s a GOOD thing I don’t have a radio show anymore! One, the Orioles would "have" to let me have a press pass at that point (although we BOTH know if I announce my return to the airwaves tomorrow morning, which I could do because I own the place, they would find another excuse to lock me out). And two, I would be RAILING on the radio about "accountability and character," two big buzz words for me. In ALL of this hand-wringing about Sam Perlozzo’s job security, not ONCE have I heard any criticism of Danys Baez or Chris Ray or any other PLAYER in regard to why the team is losing ballgames in putrid fashion the last three days. On Sunday, a pitcher who hadn’t thrown more than 71 pitches was getting near 100 pitches — and THREE Opening Day starters are ALREADY on the DL, probably all gone for the season! Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette spent $42 million in the offseason, ostensibly, to win games with the bullpen when the team has to get two outs and has a five-run lead. Danyz Baez is being WILDLY OVER-paid to get two outs, and couldn’t do it. Chris

Thorne and Martinez might get canned for this one

Nestor Aparicio

It was the kind of "journalism" that would make Howard Cosell smile heartily. During the last at-bat of the game — another HORRENDOUS last-inning defeat, after blowing a 3-0 lead — Melvin Mora took off for third base in an OBVIOUS "I shouldn’t be running in this situation," distracting Jay Payton and getting him a called strike. Payton was 3-for-4 lifetime against Jeremy Accardo and wound up making the last out and going after Melvin Mora as he came back to the dugout, and the few thousand Toronto faithful headed to the exits with a 5-3 victory. After the game, Rick Dempsey and Jim Hunter made nary a mention of the "altercation" — NOT A WORD…like it NEVER happened — and threw to Gary Thorne and Buck Martinez, who BOTH hammered a very agitated Sam Perlozzo about the incident. This was an UGLY incident captured by MASN’s cameras at TWO angles! (I’m thinking this is the LAST time anything like THIS happens once the old man gets word of this…MASN HOSTS ATTACKING the Orioles!?!?!?) Jay Payton literally went AFTER Melvin Mora…twice in the dugout! And MASN rolled the tape back twice JUST to make sure the Orioles’ fans captured the

Why Peter Angelos is a lousy owner…Part 1967

Nestor Aparicio

Ok, so my rants (and honestly the rant of ANY self-respecting Orioles fan) about Peter Angelos’ obvious, intentional and mean-spirited snub of the 1966 World Series championship team last year are well-documented. And if you think I’m crazy — all two of you idiots who might think it’s cool to insult the past legends in the world of sports  like Brooks Robinson — you should’ve seen the look on my face somewhere over Connecticut on the plane ride back from New England earlier tonight. At some point Saturday at Fenway Park, I threw a copy of the Red Sox Magazine into my computer bag, and my wife found it on the way home and started browsing. And there is was: in LOVING, LIVING, BREATHING COLOR — a full tribute and honorary section of the magazine devoted to the Impossible Dream 1967 Red Sox coming back on Opening Day to kickoff the 2007 season. Keep in mind: this team — the ’67 Sox — actually LOST the freaking WORLD SERIES! They didn’t even WIN! And forty years later, the Red Sox ownership, management and anyone with an iota of common sense can see that THIS IS WHAT YOU DO: you HONOR

I can’t believe what I just saw..

Nestor Aparicio

Maybe the strangest game since…well, since ARod hit that grand slam a few weeks ago. What the hell happened? Once the baserunners started getting on, you could feel the dark cold winds blowing into Fenway Park for the Orioles. This one was just sheer agony! Maybe it was the pink bats? Maybe Josh Beckett leaving in the fourth inning created some strange happenings? What the heck do you say to Jeremy Guthrie, who pitched the game of his life today? Chris Ray couldn’t cover first? Hell, Youkilis MIGHT have been safe at home on the previous play (and once again we see what a ‘heads up’ player Brian Roberts is)! And all Sam Perlozzo could say from the dugout was: "GODDAMMIT!" That’s EXACTLY what I said when he came out to pull Guthrie to begin with… Just a painful, painful defeat at Fenway today for the orange and black…

A picture says it all!!

Nestor Aparicio

Wow…what an IMPRESSIVE effort today by Jeremy Guthrie! The above picture was taken from NESN’s HD feed…they showed the scoreboard and the pitch count alone is just so impressive I thought it warranted a second look! BTW: I did some research on Guthrie, because at heart I’m a dorky baseball goober. Turns out Guthrie was born on April 8, 1979. It was the day AFTER my favorite Oriole Gary Roenicke took the ill-fated fastball to the jaw from Larrin LaGrow on the second day of my favorite baseball season and summer. I was at Memorial Stadium that day. It was Safety Day. I was in the sixth grade! Mike Flanagan was the starting pitcher for the Orioles. Sammy Stewart threw three perfect innings of relief. Guthrie has been in command all afternoon at Fenway, putting on a clinic. That ground ball from Ortiz was HUGE a few innings ago. Let’s see how the ninth goes…but so far, so good!

I’m watching the Orioles in HD today

Nestor Aparicio

If there’s ANYTHING that makes me want to do FREE THE BIRDS II this summer, it’s seeing baseball at Fenway Park in Boston and how the community reacts to baseball in New England. I’ve been here two days and its VERY apparent, all of the fun we’re missing in Baltimore while the Orioles are being held hostage by Peter Angelos and his flunkies. I was sitting here this afternoon watching the NESN pre-game show in HD at my in-laws’ joint on Mother’s Day — just seeing the crowd, the beautiful outdoor TV set, the people packing Yawkey Way before the game, creating commerce, fun, memories, convivialty. Everything I experienced yesterday was blasting into my mother in law’s living room and it was BETTER than actually being there (minus the smell of the sausage!) As a lifelong Baltimorean and Orioles fan, it’s been enough to make me vomit! Honestly, last summer I didn’t think there was anything LEFT for Angelos and his family to wreck — but alas, I was wrong. Just seeing the way the game is PRESENTED on television in New England, makes you want to drop your lobster and run down to Fenway for tickets! There is NOTHING

It went downhill in a hurry..

Nestor Aparicio

Random thoughts a few hours after the game… * So much for the $42 million bullpen. Just when I write that the Orioles are going to have a pitching advantage in the late innings of a 4-4 game, the bullpen disintegrates with Jon Leceister and Todd Williams! What was THAT mess? A few walks, a few hits and nine runs later, I’m getting on the subway in Boston after seeing a laugher that was really a pretty good ballgame for three hours. * Aubrey Huff stinks with the glove! How many times are we gonna see him NOT be able to pick a ball outta the dirt at first base, before we just decide that he’s really a DH? I was sitting 50 feet from the bag in the eighth inning and I was heckling him. He deserves it! * Didn’t "tour" the Orioles clubhouse after the game. Erik Bedard acts like an ass when he pitches well, so what’s it gonna be like in there when they get trounced in the final two innings of a game that they not only had a chance to win, but one when they ran Curt Schilling outta the game with a helluva

Schilling unglued in the 6th..

Nestor Aparicio

Curt Schilling has left the game…lots of pitches, lots of time to sit between innings, lots of balls thrown in this inning… A few random thoughts… Coco Crisp: maybe the best name in baseball since Yogi Berra…just my opinion. I DID think Milton Bradley was pretty good! Fans at Fenway Park: They chant "Yooooook" the way we do "Heeeeeeeeap!" I like it! Strange weather day in Boston: It’s hot as hell in the sun, yet freezing in the shade behind home plate. I also forgot just how UNCOMFORTABLE Fenway Park is. The seats hurt your ass, they’re cramped…and it’s CROWDED!!!! Now that the starters are out of the game, the advantage SHOULD go to the Orioles and their bullpen…we’ll see! I pulled up legendary sportswriter Dan Shaughnessy before the game to discuss FREE THE BIRDS. He remembers when Baltimore used to be a great baseball town! Legal’s Seafood recap: I heard the Baltimore location is leaving the Inner Harbor…what a shame! It’s some pretty, darned-good clam chowder!! Dice K media attack: There are still dozens of Japanese media floating around the back of the press box. Several are asleep within a few feet of me. The press box attendant says

Donny Osmond at Fenway…and other crazy stuff

Nestor Aparicio

Fourth inning at Fenway, and it’s been an eventful day already. First, Manny Ramirez has played two separate, relatively routine fly balls into a double and single, respectively. But, alas, Curt Schilling has bailed out the Red Sox from any damage. But Ramirez’s level of effort really chaps my backside! I just HATE the way he plays the game — that casual indifference from a guy who has $100 million of MLB and the fans’ money in his bank account. I know his numbers indicate Cooperstown status, but he’d NEVER get my vote! He’s one of the biggest "jakes" in the history of the game, if you ask me. He only plays hard when he wants to…and that’s unacceptable to me. (And, he once said to me in PERFECT English, "I don’t speak English" when I approached him in the visiting clubhouse of Camden Yards back in the 1990’s.) He’s a jerk, and I’m glad he doesn’t play for MY team! As for the game experience, I’ve already thrown back one Fenway Frank. For those of you who haven’t had the privilege, the Fenway Frank is a "different" kind of hot dog experience. It’s ALL in the roll — that

Nestor at the bat: Orioles fans invade Fenway…sorta

Nestor Aparicio

With the advent of the internet, it becomes possible to send back information via WNST.net almost instantly, which is really cool. This is my second trip of the year to see the Orioles play on the road. My first was in Tampa a few weeks ago. I am relegated to only getting press credentials on the road in MLB, because Peter Angelos and John Angelos have decided that I’m not a "real" media member anymore. But, at least for today, I get to do what I’ve done my whole adult life,. And with the advent of the new WNST.net, I get to share the cool people I meet and the stories I find with anyone who cares to read my silly blog. Once I got to the field, about 90 minutes ago, I got a chance to chat with Jay Gibbons, who is one of the good guys on the team. I know he said some stuff last week about playing time that ticked off some fans and media, but believe me, Gibbons’ attitude isn’t a major problem with the Orioles. We discussed FREE THE BIRDS briefly — he said his "peace" and I said mine — and we shook

Nestor at the bat: Fenway alive before the gates open..

Nestor Aparicio

Wow…what a change of pace, being in a place where baseball matters. I pulled into the Fenway Park area via taxi around 10:45 a.m. Fighting through the people, who were all surrounded by barricades in the streets around Lancaster and Yawkey Way, was hard enough. There were literally 5,000 people creating commerce, just waiting for the gates to open for batting practice. I secured my press credential around 11 and headed directly for the field, but en route stopped in the Red Sox clubhouse, which is NOT the coziest one in the big leagues. Truth be told: it’s a tiny, cramped space that befits a baseball team in the 1940’s, not anything that resembles this century at all. For any of the players on other teams who switch to the Red Sox, it has to take some getting used to — the idea of being on top of each other 81 times a year. It’s not as bad for the visiting team, whose clubhouse is EVEN TINIER! But at least they get in and outta here in three days. The Red Sox players are stuck with the antiquated facilities that Fenway provides. Once I got to the field, the Orioles

I have a press pass at Fenway Park today..

Nestor Aparicio

So, en route to doing my job — reporting facts about the Orioles to Baltimore — I have decided to take in today’s Red Sox-O’s game at Fenway Park. Through the kindness of John Blake, the Boston P.R. director who has left me a press credential for the 1:05 game, I will be blogging my little buns off from the Fenway press box. I’ll also give a call in at some today to WNST. WOW…The Birds are feigning a comeback in the AL East standings, huh? Every time they fall three or four under .500, don’t you kind of wonder if that’s "all she wrote"? But here we are in Boson today — awaiting my first cup of Legal’s clam chowder and a Fenway Frank — and the season isn’t confined to "done" status just yet. Despite injuries to Adam Loewen, Jaret Wright and Kris Benson, the orange engine still has a heartbeat left, as last night evidenced. Sole possession of second place — at least for the moment! I’ve been in New England for about 16 hours now and every person associated with the Red Sox Nation — and I’m in New Hampshire and they’re EVERYWHERE — has rushed

Orioles doing good things..

Nestor Aparicio

From the nasty@wnst.net mailbag: Nestor: I was at the game on Weds night in the 3rd row behind the O’s dugout with a friend, his girlfriend and my kids.  We had a great night. In the 8th inning B.J. Upton hit a screaming line drive foul which nailed my friend’s girl right in the hand.  She was in pain.  The ushers came right down and took her to an office where she was met by the O’s team doctor.  He examined her and recommended an xray and then made arrangements at Mercy.  Luckily, nothing was broken. The next day a rep from the Orioles called to check how she was.  The rep then offered for Debby to come to Thursday night’s game and pick two lower box tickets to any future game.  When she showed up on Thursday, the rep gave her a couple tickets and an autographed baseball from the O’s. This was some of the the nicest treatment I have ever seen from a pro sports franchise to one of it’s fans, especially considering that she wasn’t seriously injured. Since WNST seems to relay all of the negative anecdotes about the O’s I was wondering if you’d mention

McNair arrested in Tennessee..

Nestor Aparicio

Good morning, Baltimore! Strange day indeed, when it’s 6:20 in the a.m. and word is the Ravens’ QB is arrested for DUI and he wasn’t even driving? The initial word is that the actual driver of the vehicle — his brother-in-law — refused a breathalyzer, and because it was Steve McNair’s car and he was in the passenger seat, he too could be charged with DUI for allowing an impaired person to dirve his car. Details are still coming in…we’ll keep you in the loop here on the web and on AM 1570… You can follow the story on the air, or by clicking here on the initial story in The Tennessean…

Why Lenny Moore is Baltimore’s coolest man

Nestor Aparicio

I made it out to the Leslie Moore Scholarship Dinner last night, at the invite of Hall of Famer Lenny Moore, who is one of the most inspirational men I’ve met during my time covering sports and loving sports in Baltimore. Lenny Moore was one of my Pop’s favorite players. I remember the first time I met Lenny, just behind the first base dugout at a Colts-Browns game in the mid 1970’s. My Pop screamed for me to run down and get No. 24’s autograph, which I still have on the back of my ticket stub. Of course, I was 8 years old, and I had no CLUE who Lenny Moore even was. My Pop always said, “Lenny Moore could run backward faster than anyone else could run forward!” But that’s Lenny Moore the athlete, not Lenny Moore the person. It would easy to write this morning about last night’s banquet, or the charity, or the college-aged kids who were on the dais last night, talking about their education and how it’s being funded by this scholarship foundation in memory of Lenny’s son, Leslie, who died tragically and far too early. It would be easy to say that I ran

A free ticket for an Orioles game..

Nestor Aparicio

I had a relatively uneventful day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. They announced the “crowd” at 17,944. There might have been 12,000 people actually in the stadium. It took me about 15 minutes to hustle a free ticket — two girls walking between the stadium had an extra pair, and after being VERY concerned that somehow I was looking to arrest them (never been accused of being a cop before) they handed me their extra in Sect. 29 right behind the plate —  but  getting in was quite easy. It was only a matter of who would give me a free ticket, not “if” I was going to get one. I promised to feature their photo for their generosity. (Thanks, Charlie!) The craziest thing that FULLY illustrates how screwed up the Orioles are is the walk-up crowd line at OPACY. Every time I’ve been at the ballpark this year, it’s been PACKED with people wanting tickets and the Orioles aren’t smart enough to hire more staff to accomodate the day-of-game buyers. People miss first pitch because the Orioles are too incompetant to even get their fans into the ballpark! (Some things, like the lack of customer and/or fan relations,

Perfect day for a ballgame…any extras

Nestor Aparicio

It’s 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. In the “ancient” times, most of the city would be shutting down before lunch today and 40,000-plus would be walking the harbor in their O’s gear and heading to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for a happy ending to a four-game set against The Tribe on a beautiful May weekday. I don’t need to tell you that the ballpark will be a VERY lonely place this afternoon for lunch, which is why I’m going to try to take up at least one of the empty seats there today. I woke up today and said: “I feel like a ballgame today.” I’ll be on the lookout for a FREE ticket…again, I don’t spend money with the Orioles and with so many “unused” tickets floating around, why should I? Any givers of the corporate overflow? I only need ONE!!! (I’ll buy the hot dogs, soft drinks and sausage on the outside for anyone who scores me a free ticket!) Every night the Orioles announce the crowd at what appears to be at about at least 5,000 more tickets sold than butts in the seats. I’m searching for a freebie!! Who got!?!?!?!

The NFL Draft moving to Friday nights

Nestor Aparicio

The Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting that the NFL is seriously considering moving the first round of the NFL Draft into a Friday night primetime spot. And here’s my initial reaction: who WOULDN’T WATCH??? Of course, the NFL is on the front-end of this thing, because the draft gets bigger and bigger every year. So while the NBA draft becomes a yawn, the NHL is toling in anonymity and the MLB idiots can’t find ANY way to think a little “outside the box,” the first-place with a bullet NFL is pondering adding a THIRD day of excitement to our special April weekend. Good for Roger Goodell! The rumor is that the draft would revved up on Friday night and would include only the first round. Teams would get to sleep overnight before making their second-round picks. What a world we live in, huh? I vote “YES” for Friday night draft action!

Mostly unsatisfying..

Nestor Aparicio

And there WAS a hug…and they both made a boatload of money. The HBO announcers are calling it a better fight than anticipated — and it did go the distance, but I don’t think this was a fight that is going to be remembered so fondly. EVERYBODY was talking about this fight and I’m sure more people are watching than have in years, and sadly, this isn’t the fight that’s going to “wow” people into running to HBO for any of their aformentioned fights coming over the next few months. It was a great clinical display of boxing by Mayweather, but hardly inspiring enough to spring for $54.95 for the next one.We had friends, we had food, we had beer — but nothing tonight got us off our feet and made us cheer. Or necessarily, to do this all over again in a few months when the “next big fight” is announced. To the scorecards…115-113 De La Hoya116-112 Mayweather115-113 Mayweather Split decision… Oscar’s wife is disappointed…People are booing… Ahh, boxing… Just as I remembered it… That wholly unsatisfying feeling… Crowd is yelling “BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT…” Where’s Vince McMahon when you need him?!

Split decision

Nestor Aparicio

So if this thing goes the distance, and here going into 11, it appears that is very possible.If it stays at this rate, what part of the judging is going De La Hoya’s way just because of the crowd.This is the nebulous part of boxing…it’s a close fight, where neither fighter has really taken control or hurt each other.Mayweather was on the defensive for most of the fight.De La Hoya has six minutes to try to find a way to hit Mayweather to win.He’s behind, but not by too much….Desperation?My favorite: Mayweather’s corner man saying “KICK HIS ASS!”

Five losses in a row..

Nestor Aparicio

When the Orioles go to the West Coast and play night games, it’s almost like the losses don’t count. Most

If you LOVE Earl Weaver..

Nestor Aparicio

My man Suchy hit one of the greatest nerve centers in my condo on any given night… EARL WEAVER! My

Why MASN sucks..

Nestor Aparicio

So, I’ve been back from my trip to the West Coast for all of 15 minutes. The Orioles, alas, are

Greetings from Vancouver..

Nestor Aparicio

So I am wrapping up a "working/fun" weekend vacation in Seattle and Vancouver with my wife. (I brought her here

Perfect day for golf..

Nestor Aparicio

I want to take this time to formally thank everyone who is playing in or coming to support Drew’ charity

It’s not even Memorial Day..

Nestor Aparicio

And today is the first day that I’m starting to feel ambivalent about the whole 2007 Orioles campaign. Here’s a

A picture says it all!!

Nestor Aparicio

Wow…what an IMPRESSIVE effort today by Jeremy Guthrie! The above picture was taken from NESN’s HD feed…they showed the scoreboard

Schilling unglued in the 6th..

Nestor Aparicio

Curt Schilling has left the game…lots of pitches, lots of time to sit between innings, lots of balls thrown in

Orioles doing good things..

Nestor Aparicio

From the nasty@wnst.net mailbag: Nestor: I was at the game on Weds night in the 3rd row behind the O’s

McNair arrested in Tennessee..

Nestor Aparicio

Good morning, Baltimore! Strange day indeed, when it’s 6:20 in the a.m. and word is the Ravens’ QB is arrested

Mostly unsatisfying..

Nestor Aparicio

And there WAS a hug…and they both made a boatload of money. The HBO announcers are calling it a better

Split decision

Nestor Aparicio

So if this thing goes the distance, and here going into 11, it appears that is very possible.If it stays

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