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Orioles

Orioles appear to dump Ramon Hernandez off to the Reds

Nestor Aparicio

As has been reported all day from the winter meetings in Las Vegas, it appears as though the Orioles and the Reds have finally completed the transaction to send catcher Ramon Hernandez to Cincinnati for outfielder Ryan Freel and a pair of prospects. The $1 million in cash involved in the transaction will need to be approved by Bud Selig. Ken Rosenthal of Foxsports.com was the first with the story. He’s had a phenomenal running blog from Sin City… The rumors regarding Garrett Olson for Felix Pie continue to swirl. But they’re only rumors at this point.

So, can we “INDUCT ART” tonight?

Nestor Aparicio

Can we get Art Modell’s name as loud as we ever got O-R-I-O-L-E-S back on 33rd Street? That booming sound, larger than anything this side of a rock concert singalong? IN-DUCT ART! IN-DUCT ART! IN-DUCT ART! As many of you who have followed my career as a sports journalist/civic activist over the years knows, I’m a dreamer. My official title on my business card says: DREAMER, WASHED UP HOST. I hand those cards out every day and they’re still pretty accurate. When people have told me over the years that “Art Modell will never get into the Hall of Fame,” I can only laugh at the liberal use of the word “never.” Because for years, I thought we’d “never” get into the NFL. And lo and behold, we’re 13 years into this odyssey called the Baltimore Ravens because of Art Modell. And we’re on national TV tonight playing essentially for a chance at a division title. Oh, and we won a Super Bowl as well. Here’s what I see tonight: A stadium full of half-tanked, really feisty Ravens fans swathed in purple ready to rip the roof off the sky over South Baltimore tonight. The Redskins are going to bring

Puck buses and hot dog eating…

Nestor Aparicio

The puck buses will go on sale tomorrow! Here are the dates for our excursions to D.C. for three Caps games: Tuesday, Jan. 6th vs. Philadelphia, Wed. Feb. 18th vs. Montreal & Tuesday March 3 vs. Carolina. We’re trying to figure out a way to make a “WNST season ticket” outta it. However, tonight, I’ll be going down to the Islanders-Caps game for a hot dog eating competition against Sonya Thomas, the “Black Widow” of competitive eating. Of course, WNSTV will be on the scene. Hope you also check out last night’s fun at the UMBC-Towson game. It sucks that the game wasn’t more competitive — Towson just shot the lights out and were tenacious on defense. I was hoping for a buzzer beater. The Dawgs will rise again. And Pat’s Cats looked tremendous. A really fun night for all of us and saw many WNST readers and listeners there as well. Brian Billick had better form than me but the scoreboard still reads: Nestor 2, Brian 0. (And yes, he’ll be hearing about that for the rest of eternity!) It’s been a really awesome week and I’ve received many very touching emails from people regarding the Modell issue. And

Why all of the noise about A.J. Burnett?

Nestor Aparicio

It’s another offseason, another free agency period for the Baltimore Orioles and the fan base – or what’s left of it – is stirred up about whether the club will sign pitcher A.J. Burnett sometime soon. Apparently, he lives locally in Monkton (who knew THAT before this week?) and has made some overtures toward the team that he’d actually like to play here in his “hometown” as an Oriole. So writers are writing about it, Baltimore fans are talking about it, the Yankees are bidding for him and in my own mind I’m saying what any self-respecting Orioles fan should be saying: “Here we go again!” Are they really going to spend ANY money this offseason? Is anyone worth a damn REALLY going to say: “YES, I’d dying to play for the Orioles and I’ll take less money to do it?” First, the Orioles are making millions and millions of dollars of “free money” via MASN. Whatever else that comes out of their mouths to the contrary – as usual – are lies. They are absolutely printing money via that TV network. Now, whether they’ll continue to pocket the money or spend it is entirely up to them. (Or, they’ll

Pictures of the new Orioles jersey

Nestor Aparicio

We made it to the Gallery today. Lots of ways for you to see the new jerseys here at WNST.net. There are videos in wnsTV and there are pics here below… Enjoy…

‘BALTIMORE’ returns to The Orioles tomorrow

Nestor Aparicio

So the Orioles are throwing another free party tomorrow that most people in Baltimore won’t know about or care to attend. The team has been throwing 81 actual paid game events every year for a decade that get ignored by most of the metropolis so it’s hard to believe that there will be a mob scene at the Inner Harbor when the team officially “fixes” its ties to its own home town by restoring the word BALTIMORE to its road jerseys. In my opinion, they ought to concentrate on fixing the team, which went 5-26 to end the 2008 season. But nonetheless, the word ‘BALTIMORE’ will return to the team’s road jerseys just in time for your holiday shopping. Even when they finally do the “right” thing it’s thinly veiled as another mad dash for more money. (FYI: Looks like the jerseys will retail for about $80 if mlb.com’s current store is any indication.) So, what will the “Baltimore on the road jerseys” look like? Will they be taupe? Or sand? Or eggshell? Or retro? Or just…well, gray? Will it be in script? In block letters? Fat? Skinny? Black? Orange? Horizontal or vertical? Will they do some hideous version of

Watching Moyer awakens old O’s memories

Nestor Aparicio

The World Series has returned to Philadelphia for the first time in 15 years. The fans are bathed in red and the series is tied 1-1. To the mound tonight for the Fightin’ Phils: Jamie Moyer. A blast from the past, and I suppose most fans don’t even associate him with the Orioles, but I remember his time in orange and black quite vividly. I met Jamie Moyer at the Huggins-Stengel Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. during the spring training of 1993. I wrote an extensive blog about my experience there last year but it was an incredible adventure covering those Orioles teams. One of my favorite experiences as a professional even after all of these years. Moyer was a super astute student of the game, a likeable guy who a young Mike Mussina and others like Todd Frohwirth and Mark Williamson liked to talk strategy and “real pitching” with. He was a borderline major-leaguer at that point, who had bounced around three organizations and didn’t pitch in the big leagues in 1992 (he spent the whole summer in AAA Toledo after six years in the big leagues) He was a long shot to make the team coming out of

Schmuckfest & the Fighting Phillies in the World Series

Nestor Aparicio

So I’m home tonight after the Peter Schmuck roast (I worked “blue”…I was surprised by how many people don’t know what that term means but the FCC never allowed it and the Comedy Club did…it was a goof and Schmuck is a great guy), and I’m watching Pat Gillick, who was run out of Baltimore in disgrace right around the last time the Orioles didn’t suck. Or least not suck as bad as my attempts at humor tonight. LOL. So, while the Schmuckfest was a wonderful affair to benefit a nice cause, Cool Kids, it’s strange that roasting a guy who I know through baseball led me to stay up late to watch the Philadelphia Phillies go back to the World Series for the first time since 1993. The Philadelphia Phillies are in the World Series. Wow… It’s been a strange week for me. We’re at the finish line to launching the new website and the images of everyone from John Steadman to Mike Fiorelli to a major tragedy we endured in our inner circle of friends last week, it’s been a wild week to turn 40. Because everything significant in my life is marked by baseball, it’s just strange.

The “other” Rick Vaughn from Tampa Bay…

Nestor Aparicio

An hour ago my wife pulled me away from my Apple Mac Book Pro and lured me toward the television to watch the last inning of the “Sox” game. No, not the Red Sox. Instead, the Chicago White Sox were about to get bounced out of the ALDS and MLB Playoffs by the Tampa Bay Rays on a chilly night in Chicago. (Ever since they took the “Devil” out of their name their fortunes have changed. Coincidence? Hmmm…) So I watched the last three painful outs not just for the White Sox but for all Chicagoland baseball fans. I lived, on and off, in Chicago for three years when I was syndicated at Sporting News radio. My cousin is a White Sox Hall of Famer, even though I’ve never been a fan of the Southsiders. But I know this: Chicago loves baseball. And with the final whiff of Ken Griffey’s bat (and perhaps career), Chicago was extinguished yet again from the hope of a World Championship. Well, they got theirs three years ago when the Sox won, but it’s all over for another winter in the Windy City. And then I watched a beautiful thing? An old Baltimore P.R. friend

What it must feel like in Milwaukee tonight?

Nestor Aparicio

I’m a little conflicted to be honest with you. I spent today downtown watching the dozens of Orioles fans who blew off the NFL Ticket to spend one last day “at The Yard” before they close up shop for another winter. And I do mean “close up.” My guess is that we won’t hear a peep outta The Warehouse for weeks. That could be MANY weeks. Like November at the earliest… I think they want us all to forget that they played this season and that it didn’t end back around Memorial Day. From now until then – and I’m guessing the next formal gathering will be the one when they don’t sign Mark Teixiera — the few of us who actually remember real Orioles baseball and are ashamed of what this sham has become over the past 11 years will watch something that is a faded memory: the MLB postseason. Remember rushing around and setting your schedule to watch baseball in October? Crisp fall afternoon doubleheaders, with one game at 3 in the shadows and the other waiting after dinner. From Yankee Stadium to Chavez Ravine, from Royals Stadium to Riverfront Stadium. And sometimes, once in a while, we

‘See The Birds’ journey of 2008 ends with another lost season of failure tonight at Camden Yards

Nestor Aparicio

Come one, come all! As a matter of fact, I hope more than one of you actually COME to Oriole Park at Camden Yards tonight where a few hopeless losers like me will set forth a few last phantom, hollow cheers for another season that never was. That’s 11 in a row on my watch. The Orioles haven’t played a meaningful game since October 1997. And the crowds have withered to virtual nothingness. I know you probably haven’t noticed through the servings of the Purple Kool Aid on MASN, but they’ve now quietly lost eight in a row. And they’ve won six times since August 17th. “Wake Me Up When September Ends” indeed… How bad is it? Well, the team has $1 tickets available tonight and most of the city doesn’t even think it’s worth that. There might be 5,000 in the park tonight. It’s kinda like a minor league baseball game or something out of “Major League,” which 20 years ago was just a funny movie about the Indians and Cleveland. At this point, it’s the current state of Baltimore baseball. Empty seats that the Orioles can’t beg people to come and sit in for ONE DOLLAR! So, why

Even Angelos isn’t this bad…

Nestor Aparicio

Obviously, you’re reading this blog expecting me to do another defecating drive by on the Orioles but I’ve found solace this morning in the evidence that Peter Angelos isn’t the worst owner in sports at least THIS week. No, that title would belong to Al Davis, who has once again proven that he is the granddaddy of “obscenely wealthy weird sports owners.” Two weeks into the season, Davis has once again taken the term “dysfunctional” to a new level. We’ve only had this Angelos guy since 1993. The Raiders fans have had “Weird Al” since birth. Whenever I see how empty their stadium is during their losing seasons, I think of the Raider Nation “abstaining” like their owner always does. I wish I could abstain from Orioles baseball, but I can’t. So this Raiders’ situation is so bizarre that I had to compare it to the nutty stuff Angelos has done. By now you know that head coach Lane Kiffin has been twisting for several days (if not months and years) waiting to be fired. The two clearly aren’t simpatico, but then again who is compatible with Davis? Mike Shanahan got screwed out of money 15 years ago and has

A Free The Birds event in 2008?

Nestor Aparicio

With the Orioles recent run of losses and the front office’s continuation of Marxist policies regarding the fans and media, my email lights up at least a few times a day asking me whether FREE THE BIRDS is a living breathing movement. A guy named Ray dropped me a note this morning and I answered him with the response below. I’ll have more to write on the second anniversary of FTB next week, but this is my official position: There SHOULD be one… But I honestly don’t have time or energy to organize one at this point… No one seems to care about the Orioles, which is the real problem… But the Angelos family continues to lie to us about “better days ahead” and the city and the “establishment” that feeds at the trough continues to take the payouts in the way of advertising and “partnership” and shut up… Call Channel 13 or CBS Radio or The Sun or The Examiner or PressBox and see if they want to organize a walkout? They’re the only ones making money off of the team via orange advertisments…. The Orioles write them big checks and their “journalists” wave the pom poms and ignore

Another September with the disappearing orange baseball…

Nestor Aparicio

I looked through all of the WNST blogs over the past couple days and there has been a one glaring omission: the Orioles are nowhere to be found. Playing out the string for the 11th consecutive September – the franchise hasn’t hosted a meaningful game since October 1997 – the worst-run and meanest and most paranoid franchise in professional sports has now put together another pathetic crawl to the finish line with a 3-17 record since the middle of August. It’s been the quietest “slump” in the history of Baltimore baseball. No one is saying anything. No one is calling. And, apparently, no one is even watching. Every night this week, I’ve seen downtown almost completely empty while I’ve watched Fenway Park on NESN packed with fans watching the Tampa Bay Rays come to Beantown as upstart first-place winners. I’m watching baseball this week. I’m just not watching the pathetic Orioles. Maybe one day it’ll be our turn to win at baseball again in Baltimore. Maybe one day we’ll all feel like the Orioles are “our” team. But we’re getting up on the two-year anniversary of FREE THE BIRDS and the Orioles are 16 games under .500, 23 games behind

Orioles continue ban on free speech in Baltimore

Nestor Aparicio

So who is it gonna be next week? Or next year? Scott Garceau? Peter Schmuck? Steve Davis? Who’s next? So it seems, these days only Fred Manfra, Jim Hunter and Tom Davis — those bastions of journalistic integrity and fellow MASN employees — are safe. Maybe that’s the question the rest of the local and national media should be asking. Who’s next? Who will be the next person to show up at a sporting event — after spending nearly a quarter of a century in press boxes all around the continent in virtually every sport imaginable, it’s all I’ve ever done to feed my family since 1984 — only to be turned away by management for being too critical of the team? Having been an accredited media member for the totality of my career, I have never heard of such a thing, nor has anyone in my industry, until yesterday when I was denied entrance to Camden Yards. To have some young PR flunky in a tie meet me at the front door and say: “No thanks, the owner is not only not taking questions from the fans or the media, but he is now no longer making his team

Orioles deny WNST press credentials for 2007 season

Nestor Aparicio

PRESS RELEASE April 8, 2007                                                                                                                     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WNST RADIO BEING DENIED PRESS CREDENTIALS BY ORIOLES ON OPENING DAY IN BALTIMORE Towson-based Sports Media organization and radio station is considering legal action Baltimore — WNST-AM 1570, a 5,000-watt sports-talk radio station in Baltimore — and a staple in Baltimore sports media — is being denied credentials for the upcoming 2007 Orioles season by the team’s ownership and media relations department. Station owner “Nasty” Nestor Aparicio has repeatedly made attempts to procure press credentials from the team and has continued to be rebuffed. Aparicio and his staff have covered Baltimore Orioles’ baseball since Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in 1992. “It’s just amazing that every single year, when you think it can’t get any worse, it does,” Aparicio said in a blog on his website, www.wnst.net. “Are they honestly trying to say that we’re not a legitimate media entity, after we’ve covered every major sporting event in this country for 15 years? Is it a personal attack? Is it an attempt to punish us for being honest in our assessment of the Orioles franchise? I really don’t know. But one of our chief complaints as an organization and as

Even Angelos isn’t this bad…

Nestor Aparicio

Obviously, you’re reading this blog expecting me to do another defecating drive by on the Orioles but I’ve found solace

A Free The Birds event in 2008?

Nestor Aparicio

With the Orioles recent run of losses and the front office’s continuation of Marxist policies regarding the fans and media,

Orioles deny WNST press credentials for 2007 season

Nestor Aparicio

PRESS RELEASE April 8, 2007                                                                                                                     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WNST RADIO BEING DENIED PRESS CREDENTIALS BY ORIOLES ON OPENING DAY

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