Every Friday, I’ll ponder five topics related to the Ravens or Orioles (or a mix of both).
Five questions …
1. Is it just me or has Central Florida quietly produced some quality NFL players in the last 20 years? Not exactly known as a college football powerhouse, the Knights have played at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level for just under two decades, but their list of NFL players includes the likes of Brandon Marshall, Daunte Culpepper, Kevin Smith, Asante Samuel, Blake Bortles, and Mike Sims-Walker. First-round pick Breshad Perriman became the third former UCF player on the Ravens’ current roster, joining wide receiver Kamar Aiken and offensive lineman Jah Reid. Of course, Baltimore can only pray that Perriman works out a lot better than Reid, who has been a major disappointment as a third-round pick in 2011.
2. Is it just me or is Steve Pearce quickly becoming the new Melvin Mora? As if Friday’s opener as the “home” team at Tropicana Field wasn’t strange enough, the Orioles started Steve Pearce at second base for the first time in his professional career — majors or minors. Fielding questions aside, it’s a creative way to get Pearce in the lineup as he’s essentially been supplanted by the hot-hitting Jimmy Paredes over the last two weeks. Through the first 21 games of the season, Pearce has now started at five different spots — both corner outfield positions, first base, designated hitter, and second base. If you’re wondering what could be next, Pearce has also appeared at third base in his major league career and once at shortstop in the minors. That versatility is just another reason why Buck Showalter likes having Pearce on his roster, especially if his bat can heat up to 2014 levels.
3. Is it just me or do the Ravens always seem to land a high-value player in the second round? Baltimore clearly needed to add a tight end with Dennis Pitta’s future unclear and Owen Daniels now in Denver, but few would have expected Minnesota’s Maxx Williams to still be on the board when general manager Ozzie Newsome moved up just three spots to grab him at 55th overall. It hasn’t worked out perfectly every year in terms of results, but Torrey Smith (2011), Arthur Brown (2013), Timmy Jernigan (2014), and Williams (2015) were all players linked to the Ravens in at least a few first-round mock drafts before Newsome ultimately nabbed each one in the second round. Pretty strong value.
4. Is it just me or do the Orioles have too many attractive bullpen options at Triple-A Norfolk to waste much more time on the Jason Garcia experiment? Showalter offered an honest assessment of the Rule 5 pick last homestand in noting that his velocity has dropped from the spring, perhaps a sign of the organization having second thoughts about continuing to keep him on the roster. A peek at Norfolk might expedite that conclusion with a finally-healthy Steve Johnson posting a 0.73 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings this season. The Tides starting rotation also sports options with Mike Wright (2.29 ERA), Zach Davies (1.25 ERA), and Tyler Wilson (3.86 ERA) leading the way. Garcia has a 6.97 ERA and 8.61 FIP (fielding independent pitching mark), numbers so poor that you must ask if his potential ceiling is worth keeping him on the roster of a contending club.
5. Is it just me or does the NFL need to pick up the pace in announcing draft picks? One of my biggest pet peeves over the last few years is how easily the television presentation falls behind the pace of picks actually being turned in by the teams. Commercial breaks are unavoidable, but it becomes excessive when the announcement of a selection is delayed while the networks blabber on about something unrelated to what’s happening in real time. The NFL has effectively transformed the draft into a three-day marathon, but can we at least announce the picks in a timely manner to avoid logjams like what we experienced Thursday with the news of Perriman’s selection being out there for several minutes before it was announced by commissioner Roger Goodell? The event is long enough as it is without the additional dragging of feet.
