Search
Close this search box.
Facebook-f X-twitter Linkedin Youtube Spotify Podcast

Paid Advertisement

Search
Close this search box.

Nestor Aparicio

Glenn Clark is an Oriole-American Labor Day rock star!

Nestor Aparicio

So, we were out tonight celebrating the birthday of our Ravens “analyst” Glenn Clark and he proved once again that he’s not only a great American — he’s also a true red, white and blue Oriole-American: Happy Birthday Glenn!

Orioles latest scam: the $1 ticket ain’t a buck at all

Nestor Aparicio

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZXHzZvqNUo[/youtube]I was watching the Orioles game against the Rangers tonight. Why? Because I love sports and there’s nothing else on. The Orioles are advertising $1 tickets. All I needed to do was go to their website. They made it sound easy! I thought it over — and I still think a LOT about the Orioles as any of my Facebook friends will attest — and said, “Hey, I’d like to go to the ballpark and as much as I’ve refused to give them ANY money over the past two years, maybe I’d consider giving them two freaking dollars and taking my wife or son to one more game before next April.” My son called me from the beach yesterday and was pestering me about going to a game. We haven’t been to a game together this year because he’s been making dough at Seacrets in O.C. Well, as you can imagine, I was skeptical regarding their honesty and integrity in offering seats for a dollar. Could this be “for real?” And you know what, my skepticism — yet again — is warranted. I followed the prompt through the billing process and lo and behold, my tickets suddenly totaled up to

So, just how irrelevant are the Orioles?

Nestor Aparicio

Let’s start with these simple facts: the last three days have been the best weather days of this or any other century and Oriole Park at Camden Yards has been pretty much devoid of any signs of life from Baltimore fans. There have been roughly 10,000 Orioles fans at the ballpark each night while the team is en route to probably getting swept tonight by the New York Yankees. The evil empire. The doers of bad deeds, like paying the best players on the planet the most money to come and continue a winning tradition. They’re easy to hate but it’s mandatory that you respect the New York Yankees. They play to win. For the most part, they exclude class. And you get your money’s worth. And you know how much tickets have been for these games? Yeah, eight bucks. So for just $8 anyone in a four-state area could come and watch the Orioles play under the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. So, clearly, people aren’t as turned on by Matt Wieters, Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts, Adam Jones, Brian Matusz, etc. as the ownership hoped we’d all be. To my way of thinking, after 12 consecutive years of

Not Auto-Matt-ic: Paging Stover…Matt Stover!

Nestor Aparicio

Just in case you’re wondering, the Ravens have NOT contacted Matt Stover about their kicking needs for the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 13. Not yet, anyway. But, of course, there are more than just a few people around the Charm City who think that might not be a bad idea. And the team is led by head coach John Harbaugh, who spent his entire existence in the world of special teams and kickers and punters. This has to perturb Harbaugh more than most coaches. The kicking game and life in the NFL is a strange one. Here is this macho game played by the biggest, fastest and toughest guys in our culture and along comes a little kicker with it all on the line to win the game on his foot and the 40 yards between the line of scrimmage and goal posts. It’s not a cruel joke or coincidence as much as it’s weekly reality in the NFL. After he made the game-winning kick in Tennessee last January, the Ravens jettisoned Matt Stover for three reasons, really: 1. He wasn’t their best bet on kickoffs, which forced them to carry an extra man on the

Check out this rack!

Nestor Aparicio

For those of you who ever claimed a prize from us or visited us out on remote Hart Road radio and web mancave in Towson you know that we have quite a significant deer population. Virtually every afternoon, we see a herd running through our fields. For a kid from Dundalk, where the sight of a squirrel in my neighborhood drew large crowds akin to the sight of a police car on the street, living amongst Bambie is still fun. Last week, when we were remodeling the studio, I got my first-ever glimpse of four gigantic bucks — all more than 6-pointers. I’ve had this location since May 1998 and I don’t think I’ve seen five bucks in 11 years. Ray Bachman swears he’s never seen a single buck in all the years. So to see a dozen deer literally 20 feet from the basement window was a rare treat. We’ve had two albino deer over the years — including a Loch Ness or Yeti-like sighting about two months ago — and lately this little guy below has intrigued me. I’ve seen him at least five times and I’m always wondering if his horn will eventually stand up. Or whether

An example of great journalism by Yahoo’s Mike Silver

Nestor Aparicio

We spend plenty of time “outing” phonies and charlatans in our business. But, alas, there are many, many dedicated, responsible and interesting journalists in the cyber-universe and when I find them, simply put, I celebrate them. If you’ve been following this Raiders story closely — and I am, mainly because of the bizarre nature of the management, ownership, leadership and discipline of the Oakland Raiders, whose success and franchise closely mirrors the Baltimore Orioles in many ways — this story by Yahoo’s Mike Silver is a must-read. So just when you think the Orioles are really bad, just consider that you could be a Raider fan as well. Angelos and Davis really do have a lot in common: old world owner, a little too involved, no one who is competent or wise wants to work for them, etc. But, like Bob Haynie, I digress… This is one of the best “exposes” in recent memory on the dysfunction of the Raider Nation under Al Davis. Keep in mind: Davis is in the Hall of Fame and Art Modell is not. Feel free to comment below…

Orioles continue to sink even lower than we thought possible

Nestor Aparicio

As the biggest critic of Orioles ownership over the last decade, I’ve purposely refrained from being particularly hard on the team in 2009. Unfortunately for you, the WNST fans and true Baltimore sports lovers, they have me right where they want me. I’m back on the radio without a press pass to their games and no one is going to tune into my show if all I do is tell the truth, and bury them for their ineptitude, mean-spiritedness and general incompetence over the past dozen years for four hours every day. And at this point, what do I have to lose? Short of them killing me, what do they have left to take away from me? The team is awful (again), there is not an iota of pride remaining in being an Orioles fan and I’ve watched about 90% of the action this season and I’m here to tell you that it has NOT been a fun or memorable summer for baseball here in the land of pleasant living. And really, telling the truth — see the paragraph above — is NOT what Baltimore wants to hear from me about the Orioles. It’s like a broken, freaking record —

Orioles do a reverse, sign 2nd-rounder Givens for $900K

Nestor Aparicio

In the end, Orioles scouting director used the media and the internet as a leverage tool to get Plant (H.S. Fla.) second-round draft pick Mychal Givens to sign near the midnight deadline last night. For a week, Jordan declared Givens and his agent Kenny Felder uncooperative and told stories that they had “jacked up their price.” Once again, it was all posturing. In the end, Givens got $900,000 — about $200,000 more than the “budget” allowed. The team announced that “ownership agreed with the increase,” which is to say that Peter Angelos was called in on this one. Givens, a highly touted pitcher and shortstop, will enter the Orioles organization as a potential infielder and is years away from playing in the big leagues. So, it’s a nice story for today — the Orioles got their man! They wound up signing 9 of their first 10 picks, with only their 8th rounder Davin Harris slipping back to class at East Carolina.

An ode to Aubrey Huff…his “defining moment” is here!

Nestor Aparicio

He bragged about masturbating and not watching video of pitchers, he cursed and acted foolishly tipsy on national radio but, for the most part, the Aubrey Huff era will be remembered for the most brazenly stupid act of the modern-day local athlete era — he called Baltimore a “horses**t” town. This is simply a convenient set of links to the “Huff-Gate” extravaganza of November 2007. Two years later — and in the rearview mirror of his trade today to the Detroit Tigers, you can make your own judgments on Huff and his body of work. For me, he’s the worst athlete and the least likable athlete in the history of my 25 years of covering Baltimore sports for a living. After this incident, he feigned comedy and a weak apology to no less of an excuse than Anita Marks, and to my knowledge never did anything to make any sort of restitution for his comments. He took $22 million from the Orioles and from the city of Baltimore over the last three years. He had a so-so first year, an outstanding offensive effort in 2008 and has been less-than-stellar during this campaign. His effort was spotty and even his best

I knew the Raiders were screwed up, but c’mon…

Nestor Aparicio

Three months ago I had the privilege — well, actually, it was more disgusting than enjoyable — of sitting two feet behind Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis on a flight from Southern California to the Bay Area. He was pleasant, filthy and old. Like, VERY old. At the owner’s meetings, you can only imagine the treatment he’s given after treating the first “establishment” like enemies — moving his team, suing them and coining the phrase “abstain” during any of the league’s votes on various issues from collective bargaining to television deals. The Oakland Raiders have always been a little kooky because, like the Orioles, they have a kooky owner. Davis is eccentric, borderline senile and clearly marches to his own beat. But tonight, with whispered words leaking that his current head coach Tom Cable might’ve assaulted one of his own assistant coaches (defensive assistant Randy Hanson) in a meeting and went as far as to send him to a clinic for an apparent broken jaw, this puts the league and the rest of the teams on red alert as to how weird and uprofessional a place that Oakland is to work in the NFL. (Later tonight, ESPN refuted the intial

Young Matusz shoved around by the Angels, lose 5-1

Nestor Aparicio

Brian Matusz’s night was long and unproductive. In his home debut, he labored through 5 2/3 innings, giving up a whopping 11 hits,  five runs (four earned) and walked three, while striking out seven. He threw 98 pitches and leaves the game with the Orioles trailing 5-1 and two inherited runners. The game story is here. The box score is here. It’s hot. The stadium is kinda lonely for a Saturday night. And the Orioles big night last night with Felix Pie seems a distant memory. You’ve gotta enjoy the rare wins when you get them.

Harbaugh refutes ESPN report regarding Ozzie’s interest in Vick

Nestor Aparicio

On a bizarre night for breaking news in Baltimore — with Michael Phelps getting into an accident at Calvert & Biddle and Michael Vick abruptly signing in Philly — the wildest story came an hour after the Eagles fans went into deep shock and disgust when ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that the Ravens were very much in the hunt for Vick’s services. ESPN reported that Ozzie Newsome wanted Vick and had a lack of agreement with owner Steve Bisciotti and head coach John Harbaugh. It didn’t take me five minutes after the game to find one “off the record” official who called it “bulls**t” and John Harbaugh then told me he was happy to go on the record as saying “that’s completely false, completely untrue.” Who knows what those conversations sounded like in Westminster last week but both of my sources were very perplexed and almost angry about the report. Either way, we can collectively breath a sigh of relief that Vick isn’t heading here. For the folks in Philadelphia the second guessing and the drama has only begun.

How can Orioles “build from within” by allowing draft picks to walk?

Nestor Aparicio

It’s not headline news or a WNST Text alert — nor should it be — but the Orioles have once again failed to follow through on an organizational commitment to “build from within” by allowing second-round draft choice Mychal Givens to slip away and go off to college at Oklahoma State. Givens, who helped lead Plant High School in Florida to the Class 5A state semifinals this spring, going 8-4 with a 1.71 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 78 IP on the mound while hitting a team-high .374 with 4 homers and 31 RBIs, is now a lost cause according to Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan. Givens, who is being represented by former Florida State star Kenny Felder, has asked for too much money and the Orioles have given the word that they’ve “walked away” before Monday’s deadline. All of the MASN guys and local media have given Jordan the “hall pass” on this one and shrugged their shoulders and who knows whether Mychal Givens will ever be heard from again? But I do know this: 1. They liked him enough to use a second-round draft pick on him 2. They were ready to make him a shortstop and not

Hey Baltimore: Where is the fight in you on this Art Modell issue?

Nestor Aparicio

I am a little embarrassed to be from Baltimore these days. And it has nothing to do with the 30,000 Red Sox fans who invaded the Inner Harbor two weeks ago. Look, no one loves the city or the sports teams or the “culture” of Baltimore more than me and I dare you to find someone who has displayed more civic pride over the last 25 years in the sports circle here than me and/or WNST.net. But, honestly, I don’t know what that’s worth these days. Every Facebook user and tweeter I can find within earshot all share the same opinion: DAMN, I’m glad it’s football season! Hear, hear… Yet the man who brought the team here, Art Modell, continues to be coldly left out of the Hall of Fame and no one here seems to be interested in picking up the torch and taking the slight a little more “seriously” or “personally” as a civic cause. As a community, we were the city that fought desperately and embarrassingly through the loss of the Colts and the frequent use of our metropolis and tax payers by the NFL machine as a $20 hooker for more than a dozen years. The

Ravens should end Vick speculation now: Just officially say “no thanks”

Nestor Aparicio

Chris Mortensen of ESPN has opined this morning — with speculation, and nothing more — that the Ravens might be a very interested suitor in Michael Vick. Personally, I think it’s hogwash and one source from the organization has already told me it’s not even close to the truth. There has been no indication at all that the Ravens have their sights on Michael Vick, nor should they in my opinion. Barring some miracle, mystery rendezvous that Ozzie Newsome has been doing behind the scenes this almost seems outlandish. Really, what’s the upside here for a team that was four minutes away and one drive from going to the Super Bowl in late January? This would be a major late training camp summer distraction for a guy who will have the PETA police and any other dog-lover and convict-hater out in full force in a protest of the organization, league and all things Vick in general. All of this for a guy who had trouble running real offenses in Atlanta and a guy who — on his best day — would be a No. 2 banana in Baltimore behind Joe Flacco and drive the team and the city to distraction?

Cleveland continues to show why manure is Brown

Nestor Aparicio

(UPDATE: The blogger who inspired this piece and who said Rod Woodson entered the “Hall of Shame” for mentioning Art Modell in his induction speech was on Limited Access on Tuesday. The audio is in the audio vault.) As I have opined many times, I believe the powers that be in the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame want no part of Art Modell being rightfully enshrined in Canton, Ohio for one glaring reason: the proximity of the induction ceremonies to Cleveland. As was witnessed on Saturday night when Rod Woodson had the audicity to utter the words “Art Modell” within an earshot of both the Hall and the Cuyahoga River — the natives there are all but ready to roll into Canton and wreck the weekend for everyone if Modell were to be enshrined while he’s alive. Why would the NFL lords and the Pro Football Hall of Fame want to deal with a very cranky and messy local contingent on their biggest weekend and promotional arm on the year? Answer: They wouldn’t and won’t. And most of the people who would fight for Modell’s place in Canton are already dead. Pete Rozelle and the men of

Rod Woodson states the obvious: Art Modell belongs in Canton

Nestor Aparicio

9:34 p.m. –Rod Woodson just talked about Baltimore and about Art Modell. “Without Art Modell, old school owner. And I hope the voters get this right — by putting Art Modell in the Hall of Fame, he belongs there.” With that came the usual cascade of classless “boos” from the Cleveland fans in Canton. Woodson shook his head and responded visecerally: “You can boo him because you disagree with him moving them but you can’t disagree with he did as an owner.” He then said: “We had fun in Baltimore in 2000.” He thanked Marvin Lewis, Steve Bisciotti, Ray Lewis and Shannon Sharpe but left Brian Billick out of the speech. This is my column from earlier in the evening: 9:05 p.m. — I sat down to the watch the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies tonight and really expected to be moved by great speeches made by great football players. But before Rod Woodson even got a nanosecond of face time, I was watching Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson having the ultimate honor wearing the gold jacket and entering the hallowed halls of Canton. And as his family rose to his feet and Chris Berman “circled the wagons”

Rod Woodson, in his own words, on WNST

Nestor Aparicio

I’ve known Rod Woodson, the man, since 1998 when he joined the Ravens after heavy recruitment from then-defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis. I had already watched Rod Woodson, the player, for a number of years as a Pittsburgh Steeler and a San Francisco 49er. I love Rod Woodson, one of my favorite people in the sport to chat with about life, football and the “real world” of what it’s like to be a Hall of Famer. I’ll be tuning in today to see his induction speech and will be emotional as the first Raven of this era of Baltimore NFL football gets a bronze statue and goes into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Here are a series of cool interviews we’ve done over the years with Rod Woodson. Enjoy… [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTCyPSGuS1c[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVVOK1SChsA[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7vzX-37VHU[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWVOnw8aq9A[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owbeTbC4i_o[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_amGs3XAoA[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwM2lVwyfEc[/youtube]

Zaun traded to Tampa on waiver claim

Nestor Aparicio

The Gregg Zaun trade is official: The Orioles today announced that CA GREGG ZAUN was assigned to the Tampa Bay Rays via a waiver claim in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations and selected the contract of CA CHAD MOELLER from Triple-A Norfolk. Zaun, 38, batted .244 (41-168) with four home runs and 13 RBI in 56 games for the Orioles.  He signed a one-year contract with a team option for 2010 with the Orioles as a free agent on January 21, 2009.  It was his second stint with Baltimore (1995 & ‘96). Moeller, 34, batted .200 (10-50) in 15 games with the Orioles earlier this season.  He was designated for assignment on May 29 when the team selected the contract of MATT WIETERS.  Moeller batted .203 (24-118) in 35 games with Triple-A Norfolk. 2:34 p.m. — Even though we’re the “banned” media outlet — mainly because we believe in free speech — we still manage to scoop the rest of the world on Orioles breaking news. We’re hearing that Gregg Zaun will be ending his stay with the Orioles and will be moving on to the Tampa Rays later in the day. No word

Tamir Goodman checks in from Boston…

Nestor Aparicio

I’ll admit it. I’ve become a social media addict. I do Facebook, Twitter…the whole nine! I can’t imagine living my life without it any more. Tamir Goodman is my Facebook friend. He posted a link to a Boston Globe piece on his work with youth and teaching kids about life. Obviously, if you’re a Baltimore sports fan at some point you read or heard or saw the legend of Tamir Goodman. Here’s his wiki: Goodman grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, to an Orthodox Jewish family with six brothers and two sisters. He began playing basketball at five years of age, but he first garnered national attention as a junior in high school, averaging 35.4 points per game for the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore. He earned recognition in Sports Illustrated and was interviewed by ESPN, 60 Minutes and Fox Sports. In 11th grade, he was ranked the 25th-best high school player in the country. He was dubbed the “Jewish Jordan”, nicknamed JJ, a title he said he has been trying to downplay ever since. Goodman received a scholarship to the University of Maryland, which had one of the top-ranked basketball teams in the country. The news of his plans to go

Hail Cesar: Matusz impressive in debut win over Tigers

Nestor Aparicio

9:57 p.m. –The Orioles got a huge rookie debut from Brian Matusz tonight. Cesar Izturis flashed leather and even hit a home run as the Birds defeated the Detroit Tigers 8-2 at Comerica Park. Matusz on his comfort and happiness after the win: “I’d like to enjoy it a little longer. I was a little nervous out there. I can go out there for my next start and be a little more comfortable.” On his family: “It’s awesome to have that support, My family and friends have been supportive. It’s awesome. I could hear them all after my first pitch.” On his effort tonight: “It’s important to really attack the zone. I had a couple of walks today. I fell behind in the count. To not nibble so much on the corner and go after the guys. The strike zone is a little smaller. Relax. Have fun. It’s the same game. Enjoy it and hopefully I can carry it over.” On Izturis: “Izzy was awesome. He made some great plays. Got me out of a jam. It was a lot of fun.” 9:07 p.m. — The Orioles are, for once, piling on a first-place team. It’s 8-1 and even Melvin

Were you one of the few Orioles fans amidst sea of red this weekend?

Nestor Aparicio

Well, it’s all over. The Orioles were once again swept in Baltimore by the Red Sox. Once again, thousands of New Englanders and supporters raided the city and brought millions of dollars of civic kindess on the metropolis while they continued to point out the biggest crime of Peter Angelos’ tenure as the owner of our baseball team. I ventured to Camden Yards today. Instead of writing about everything I saw and did, I shot a video for you. If you like my radio show, maybe you’ll like my lengthy set of views, observations and comments while I spent my day watching Jason Berken and Orioles pitchers give up 23 hits and 18 runs. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNQtAwg-nGI[/youtube]

As Trembley rolls under the losing orange bus, I’ll defend him…

Nestor Aparicio

Watching the post-game press conference with Dave Trembley today has been illuminating. The Orioles are really reeling. The pitchers gave up 23 hits today. They used six pitchers who gave up a collective 18 runs. Their No. 1 starter in the on the disabled list. Next up, they’re apparently bringing in their No. 1 prospect in the organization, Brian Matusz, for Tuesday night and the manager is taking massive heat. Today they were beaten 18-10 and swept while nearly 100,000 Red Sox fans rolled into Camden Yards this weekend and booed his young players while they floundered. Before the game, his all-but-washed up veteran and emotional third basemen rolled him under the bus in a pre-game tirade that will go down as legendary. Melvin Mora went on and on about “respect.” It was about as bad of a thing as you could possibly do to a manager in the middle of a bad stretch. But I can’t blame this mess on Dave Trembley at this point. As a matter of fact, since I’ve called for some clarity on his situation a few weeks ago I’ve honestly been tremendously impressed with how he’s conducted himself publicly amidst the losing. I almost

Derrick Mason’s return to Ravens was never in doubt at WNST

Nestor Aparicio

In what has not been a surprise to us – if you go back to Monday July 13th’s blog vault you’ll see we can confirm this — Derrick Mason will in fact play for the Ravens this season, ending his temporary “retirement” from the Ravens and the NFL. Three weeks ago, it took us about 45 minutes after Mason announced his “retirement” via his agent’s sports website, to begin predicting that Mason would play in 2009 but somehow it’s a major “news” story today. This was in no way a huge upset/surprise/shocker for anyone using common sense and their “sniffer” for facts. The amount of money at stake, Mason’s lack of true leverage (he would’ve had to refund money to the Ravens if he didn’t play) and the fact that he attended virtually every camp in the offseason and is in world-class shape all were clues that we would be seeing Mason in a purple sweater on Sept. 13 when the Kansas City Chiefs come to town. So, while others may take the credit for “breaking” the story today we’ve felt all along that it would be a major upset if Mason didn’t play in 2009. Just this morning I

What do Peter Angelos, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez have in common?

Nestor Aparicio

I was scanning CNN this morning and saw this headline: “At least 34 private radio stations in Venezuela were closed indefinitely Friday, and 206 more were at risk of being shut down, a government official said.” As I have said many times, Peter Angelos and Fidel Castro must’ve been discussing “freedom of speech” while behind the plate in Havana 10 years ago. And Hugo Chavez is perhaps the latest and greatest example of the mindset of the suppression of free speech. Angelos clearly subscribes to this philsophy. How can I think any differently after being banned from attending Orioles games as a media member after 21 years of having a press pass and a passion and love for Orioles’ baseball? Keep in mind, virtually 98% of my family lives in Venezuela. Freedom is something I take pretty seriously, especially considering many of my direct family members aren’t afforded the same kind of life that I am in America. But as long as the Orioles can dictate (or TRY to dictate) what is said about them in the local media I will never be silent about it as a media voice and a supporter of free speech. I have never lied

Bergesen pitches well before taking nasty liner off knee

Nestor Aparicio

UPDATED 3:20 p.m. — X Rays to Brad Bergesen’s left knee are negative. It certainly is going to hurt for a little while, but apparently Bergesen is going to be OK. The Orioles beat the Royals 7-3 in the finale of a four-game series today and Brad Bergesen was masterful in his seven innings of work. On the last pitch of his brilliant effort, he took a nasty liner off the left knee and jetted off the field in a kangaroo hop. Every Oriole in the lineup got at least one hit today and Aubrey Huff drove in three runs. TODAY’S BOX SCORE HERE

Tillman scuffles but Orioles beat Greinke & Royals 7-3

Nestor Aparicio

For those who chose to attend or watch tonight’s game after the rain delay, it was a different kind of game than what we all bargained for more than four hours ago. In the end, it was a happy night. The Orioles beat the Royals 7-3 with a flurry of late offense and a huge night from Adam Jones and Nick Markakis, who each had 3 RBIs. Matt Albers pitched some key middle relief and Jim Johnson was unhittable at the end. But the real reason this meeting of two last-place teams caught everyone’s attention was the pitching matchup: Cy Young current vs. Cy Young future in Zack Greinke vs. Chris Tillman. It was a bit of a long and tedious game and it wasn’t because of great pitching. The Orioles got to Greinke early when Jones hit a moon shot that just kept going over the left-centerfield wall. Tillman battled but threw 93 long pitches in just 4 2/3 innings and left the game in trouble. Greinke threw a whopping 116 pitches in six innings. Tillman gave up three home runs. In the end, neither factored in the decision. Trembley said in the postgame that the most amount of

Do the White Sox covet George Sherrill?

Nestor Aparicio

We’re getting down to the nitty gritty on the MLB trading deadline. The Cliff Lee deal today and a few other minor deals will have folks buzzing over the next 36 hours. Ken Rosenthal floated some information today that was interesting in regard to George Sherrill at Fox Sports. From Rosenthal: “As many as eight teams are pursuing Orioles closer George Sherrill, and two or three are “actively engaged” with Baltimore in discussions, according to a major-league source. The Orioles expect that the number of teams serious about Sherrill actually might grow once the big-name starting pitchers get traded — or not. The Dodgers have maintained interest in Sherrill, and a number of their prospects appeal to the Orioles. The Angels are “mildly” involved, according to one major-league source. The Phillies are unlikely to act on Sherrill now that they are preparing to trade four prospects for Indians left-hander Cliff Lee.”

Ravens sign Michael Oher to a five-year contract

Nestor Aparicio

The waiting is over! Michael Oher will be in camp tomorrow and will meet with the media. In the end, he missed four workouts. He’ll be on the field Friday morning when the veterans all report for the first time. These eleventh hour signings are all-too-common but are a bit of a necessary evil. There’s a lot of money at stake. It’s a real fistfight on the negotiating side and I never pick sides on these and the Ravens do their best to not get the media or anyone else involved. Of course, agent Jimmy Sexton will be bandying the numbers at some point later tonight and we’ll report the signing bonus and salary. That’s just the way it works. In the end, it always gets done. It will all around the league for the other 26 first-round “holdout” draft picks as well. Every hour over the next few days you’ll be hearing of more signings. From Mike Duffy at the Ravens website: “At approximately 9 p.m. tonight, Michael Oher and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, agreed to a five-year contract with the Ravens. The Ravens are one of the first teams to have all of their draft picks signed this

Death of Eagles Jim Johnson is hitting Harbaugh hard tonight

Nestor Aparicio

I went to Westminster today and hung out for an hour. It’s always great to know that football season is here and the games, tailgates, travel and fun of the NFL campaign is upon us again. (Just to get geared up, I’ve been reading John Steadman’s book, “From Ravens To Colts.” God, I miss Steadman a lot!) I even got to spend some quality time with Lenny Moore. Video is in the vault to the right…I’d embed it here but it’s not the appropriate place for it. About 15 minutes ago my wife called me to tell me that Jim Johnson died. I just Tweeted it and I thought I’d throw a quick note together because I feel like I want to share my “link” to Jim Johnson. And this is sure to get complicated. But let me say that I actually pulled John Harbaugh up after practice today at 10:45 a.m. and specifically asked him about Jim Johnson. And Harbs said: “I’m not hearing anything good. I wish I could say I did.” I didn’t know Jim Johnson. I never met him. But, WOW, do I know a lot of people who do and people who really thought the

Rich Hill talks about tendinitis and sorrow after loss to Royals

Nestor Aparicio

As the pending promotion of man-child Chris Tillman for tomorrow’s game gets closer it appears that the Rich Hill era here in Baltimore is about to come to an end. Monday night’s 5-3 loss to the Royals can’t be pinned solely on Hill, who exited in just 2 1/3 innings after surrendering four hits, three walks and three runs, but it’s apparent that he’s not the answer for the Birds. After the game Hill not only apologized to the fans and his teammates, he also said he’s been hurting. “I have been having some [tendinitis] issues with the shoulder and we have been doing a good job of keeping the fire down a little bit and unfortunately it is just something that I haven’t been able to maintain any consistency with,” Hill told The Baltimore Sun. “Other than that, unfortunately I haven’t been able to give any kind of consistent help to this team. I apologize to the front office and the guys in this clubhouse.” The Orioles have now dropped eight out of 10 games since the All-Star break and are looking at unfavorable pitching matchups on Tuesday and Wednesday before Brad Bergesen takes the hill for the afternoon

An early issue with Biren Ealy…

Nestor Aparicio

Well, it’s only been two hours since they signed this wide receiver kid Biren Ealy and the story about him allegedly exposing himself and urinating in public when the New Orleans Saints cut him three months ago has made the round on the social media circuit. According to the ESPN.com story, “Authorities alleged that they were drunk, urinated in public and then exposed themselves when the women who called authorities came upon them.” Meanwhile his agent, Donald “Chick” Foret defended Ealy and then-teammate and tight end Kolomona Kapanui with this statement: “This is not an obscenity crime,” Foret said. “How many times have you had fraternity kids who are urinating in public? And this is a case where you had two guys together who went out at night. They came home, one of them wanted to change his pants and he was urinating in what he thought was a secluded area and a young lady walked up on him and he overreacted verbally. “But never, ever, ever, did either of these young men threaten, intimidate or expose themselves to anyone.” I’m sure Ozzie Newsome must’ve googled Biren Ealy but feel free to click the link and read the allegations for

The “Drew Bennett era” ends before it begins

Nestor Aparicio

In yet another weird turnabout of July pre-camp events, wide receiver Drew Bennett who signed to become a top option for the Ravens on the edge has decided to retire instead of report to camp on Tuesday in Westminster. Apparently, he has re-injured his knee and has reconsidered his Friday decision to sign a one-year deal with the Ravens. “I’ve been blessed to have the opp to play in NFL for as long as I have but it’s time for me to move on to next chapter in my life,” Bennett said in a statement. “After returning home from Baltimore this weekend, a previous knee injury flared up, making me realizing that I am unable to play another NFL season. Therefore, I have decided to retire from the NFL.” “After an offseason of workouts and rehab, I thought I was ready to play again, but it became apparent over this weekend that while my mind is willing, my body will not be able to make it through another NFL season.” So, just who are the options left on the marketplace? Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, Marvin Harrison, Joe Horn, Plaxico Burress and Ashley Lelie. Not exactly a buyer’s market. There’s a

The morning after: Baltimore is the biggest winner in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over A.C. Milan

Nestor Aparicio

A Friday night in late July with 70,000 sports fans crammed into downtown Baltimore is something to behold. I realize most of you didn’t come down to M&T Bank Stadium for Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over A.C. Milan. Honestly, I realize there’s a large contingent of “real” Baltimore sports fans who “hate” soccer. But none of that really matters after the fact. Here’s the truth about the big friendly soccer match at the Big Crab Cake: it was an unqualified success and was probably the coolest non-Ravens event in our city in a generation. I began my afternoon at Mother’s with several Corona Lights and a full house of soccer fans. Sure, the crowd was mostly male but there were all sorts of jerseys from all over the world and many folks brought their children to the game in a “once in a lifetime” chance to see the likes of Gattuso, Ronaldihno and Pirlo here in Charm City. I walked for 30 minutes through the crowd. I saw ONE Orioles jersey (a Nick Markakis 21 orange giveaway special) and TWO Ravens hats the entire evening. And if you were wondering whether it was a “real” sellout or the “fake” kind the

NFL moves to a Thursday night “Festival” format for 2010 Draft

Nestor Aparicio

It was inevitable. The NFL has discovered that the April draft is the single largest event of their offseason and they’re gonna milk it. (As they should…) It’s a made-for-TV spectacular that captivates virtually every REAL football fan I know. It’s great for discussion. It’s great for drama. It’s MADE for primetime. The best part? We get to have it two days earlier! Primetime fun…big trades, lights…hell they should even bring in some bands and do concerts and songs between picks. (OK. I’m joking about that last part. BUT. It wouldn’t suck, either!) So, what do you think? Is this the worst, crass commercialism or does this make the draft even more fun than it already is. My first gut reaction: this sounds great to me! Here’s the NFL.com press release: The NFL draft will kick off in primetime for the first time in 2010, it was announced Thursday. The first round of the 2010 NFL Draft will start on Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the second and third rounds on Friday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 24 at 10 a.m. ET. The draft will continue to be televised

REPORT: Orioles to ditch Fort Lauderdale for Sarasota in 2010

Nestor Aparicio

Because the Orioles have had many, many “false alarms” over the past 15 years, I’m personally taking this one with a grain of salt but several media outlets are reporting that they’ll finally be moving their spring training facilities from the dump in Fort Lauderdale to Sarasota beginning February 2010. Here are the initial details according to the Herald Tribune of Sarasota: SARASOTA – Sarasota County and the Baltimore Orioles have reached a tentative agreement for the team to do spring training at Ed Smith Stadium for the next 30 years. An agreement that will go before the Sarasota County Commission on Wednesday would bring the team to Sarasota for spring training starting in 2010. The $31.2 million deal will be funded with local tourism tax revenue and more than $7 million in state money. The agreement calls for the Orioles to pay all operating and maintenance costs at Ed Smith for the term of the lease. The county and Orioles will contribute equally to a capital maintenance and repair fund. The deal also includes: A proposed Orioles and Cal Ripken Baseball youth academy at Twin Lakes Park. And promotion of Sarasota County in the Baltimore Washington metro area. “This

Suggs continues his double talk over camp

Nestor Aparicio

Today is the day. Either Terrell Suggs agrees to the deal the Ravens have put forth and becomes a long-term signee or he’ll be franchised at 4 p.m. and will have to suffer with a second year of detainment and a $10.2 million payday in 2009. After telling The Los Angeles Times that training camp is “overrated” two weeks ago, Suggs told Jamison Hensley this in this morning’s fishwrap: “The fans want to see me in training camp on time, and I want to be there on time.” A change of heart? Perhaps…but who can blame him about training camp? Not many are fond of the necessary evil. But here’s the key fact for the day: there’s a contract for about $30 million in guaranteed money sitting on the table awaiting his wet signature. Of course by signing the current multi-year deal the Ravens are offering, it would indeed mean that he’d need to be in Westminster in 12 days. Suggs told the world two weeks ago that the deal was “close” to a long-term agreement. One thing is for sure: the deadline is now close and we’ll know more by the end of the day. Either way, Suggs will

Ploy or legit? Derrick Mason shocks everyone, “retires” on his agent’s website

Nestor Aparicio

UPDATED 9:11 p.m. — In a turn of events that can only be deemed “shocking,” Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason announced his retirement from the NFL via a website called JockLife.net at precisely 5 p.m. tonight. This much is assured: Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens had NO idea this was happening. And privately, they aren’t as concerned about the announcement as the fan base has been over the last few hours. Honestly, it smells more like a negotiating ploy than a legitimate retirement and Mason’s agent has already responded to the initial purple response of “no response.” But, one of two things is happening: 1. Mason’s “retirement” is 100% sincere and the death of Steve McNair has affected his desire to play… or 2. His agent, C. Lamont Smith, who owns the website that “released” the news is angling to get Derrick Mason the final pay day that he cried out for in another story on the same website back in March. See that piece here… “For any player to retire, he has to send a letter to the NFL stating this. Derrick Mason has not done that,” said Kevin Byrne, the Ravens’ senior vice president of public relations. Before

Ray Lewis calls McNair “a king” in eulogy

Nestor Aparicio

Yesterday Ray Lewis had one of the toughest jobs any man can have – burying a friend and trying to put into words the significance of a relationship and a life that ended far too early. Steve McNair’s death – no matter your feelings regarding the situation, circumstances and salacious details of his decisions and subsequent murder – is a tragedy. For his wife. For his kids. For his friends. And for the NFL and the Titans and the city of Nashville. Yesterday, Ray Lewis began his lengthy speech by calling Steve McNair “a king.” In a passionate display, Lewis referred several times to their battles on the football field and said that he and McNair became friends “through fury.” He also implored McNair’s four sons to “walk with your head high.” Below is the unedited, nearly eight-minute version of the speech from Mississippi: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQVxW0kIkYs[/youtube]

Check out this rack!

Nestor Aparicio

For those of you who ever claimed a prize from us or visited us out on remote Hart Road radio

8

Paid Advertisement

Podcast Audio Vault

Spotify Apple Youtube
8
8
8

Paid Advertisement

Scroll to Top
Verified by MonsterInsights