Baltimore Sports Then and Now

Nick Markakis has quietly developed into an offensive force for the Baltimore Orioles.

After 12 straight losing seasons, optimism is high in Baltimore that 2010 could be the season the Orioles move back over the .500 mark. However, considering that they won only 64 games a year ago, even with a plethora of young talent there is much to be done if the O’s are really going to move to the plus side of the ledger.

This is part two of a three part series about the 2010 Orioles. In part one we looked at keys to the season. In this article we are looking at some of the strengths and weaknesses. In the third part we will explore exactly what could be considered a success for 2010.

So, below we take the position groups and other elements of the team and analyze those that are areas of strength and those where work is needed if the Orioles truly will be able to contend in 2010:

Strengths:

Outfield: It is quite possible that by the end of this season the outfield of the Baltimore Orioles could be considered the best in major league baseball.

Because he is not a dominant power hitter, rightfielder Nick Markakis has gone somewhat unnoticed across baseball. He has yet to earn an All-Star selection in four seasons with the Orioles, but has emerged as the most consistent offensive threat for the squad.

He has a career batting average of .298 and has driven in more than 100 runs in a season twice. With protection around him and a likely move to the number four spot in the lineup, watch for Markakis to have another big season in 2010.

Flashy centerfielder Adam Jones got off to a hot start in 2009 and made the All-Star team. He also earned a Gold Glove in centerfield and illustrated that he can be a solid everyday player.

He finished the 2009 season with a .277 average, 19 home runs and 70 RBI despite playing in only 119 games. You can expect him to settle into the lineup in 2010 and again be a solid performer.

Second year player Nolan Reimold displayed flashes of brilliance as a rookie and many believe he will post numbers similar to Jones and Markakis in 2010. He finished 2009 with a .279 average and 15 home runs in 104 games and will be given the chance to play every day in leftfield in 2010. Read the rest of this entry →

The Ravens acquired the receiver they needed in three-time Pro Bowler Anquan Boldin.

The Baltimore Ravens made a big move during the first day of the free agent period by trading two draft picks (a third and fourth rounder) for three-time Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin. The seven-year veteran immediately fills a major need for the Ravens and provides third-year quarterback Joe Flacco with a much-needed target.

During his seven years with the Arizona Cardinals, Boldin eclipsed the 80 reception mark five times and also had five seasons with 1,000 or more yards receiving. His best season was in 2005 when he caught 102 passes for 1,402 yards and seven touchdowns.

In recent years, he has posted big receiving numbers despite being regularly hampered by injuries. He has played a full 16 games only twice in his career with the last time coming in 2006.

Boldin was entering the final year of his contract with the Arizona Cardinals and immediately agreed to a three-year, $25 million extension with $10 million guaranteed. Read the rest of this entry →

To begin the 2010 Major League Baseball previews on Sports Then and Now let’s look at the American League East. The most dominant league in baseball over the last decade, the AL east has put a team in last three World Series and seven out of the last ten. It doesn’t get anymore impressive than that.

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1. New York Yankees

Will Andy Pettitte give the Yankees his usual dependable starts in 2010?

While most talking heads no longer rank the Yankees pitching staff as the best of the division, they are still pretty darn impressive, at least at the top of the rotation. CC Sabathia promises to have an even better year than last now that he’s had a full year to get used to his new surroundings. Being that last year was not too shabby (19-8 records, 3.37 ERA, 4th in AL Cy Young votes), Sabathia looks to be a real terror on the mound for New York. Even though A.J. Burnett was a bit shakier than Sabathia, he still managed to win 13 games. He, too, will see improvement this season.

With the top two in excellent shape, a big question mark hangs over Andy Pettitte. While this is a guy who has been the meter stick of consistency (Pettitte has won between 14 and 18 games in 9 of his fifteen seasons, which leaves out a 19 win and two 21 win seasons) he will turn 38 during this upcoming season. The Yankees gave him a one year deal because they have come concerns about his durability (read: no more “healing” aides).

The real mysteries are the four and five spots in the Yankee rotation. Javier Vasquez is a big deal gain for New York as he offers a very, very solid middle of the rotation guy. The club seems intent on leaving Chamberlain as a starter despite overwhelming evidence that he should be a reliever, but now that Vasquez is in town, perhaps logic will prevail and put Phil Hughes in that fifth spot. If that’s done, the Yankees will win 100 games again this year. Read the rest of this entry →

The hit heard around Russia.

Alex Ovechkin is one of those players who can change the flow of a game with one play. Sometimes, it’s with a scintillating goal from some obscure position. Other times, Ovechkin just knows how to be in the right place at the right time.

Sunday during the Czech Republic vs. Russia game was a perfect example of Ovechkin’s good timing. While Ovechkin is known to be a great scorer, he is also known for delivering the big hit from time to time. It was in this game where Ovechkin put a hit on Czech superstar Jaromir Jagr that declared Russian control of the game.

In the final period Russia lead 2-1, the Czechs had to make some moves offensively to tie the game, and they had to do it soon. Jagr had possession of the puck on his way toward Russian territory.

Back when I played hockey, I rarely heard any other piece of advice as much as I heard, “Keep your head up!” Especially in open ice.

Read the rest of this entry →

Adam Jones and the Orioles will look to make a move in the American League East in 2010.

With Spring Training starting and the 2010 baseball season only weeks away, it is the time of the year when fans of the Baltimore Orioles can start dreaming that maybe this is the year that their decade long nightmare ends.

The Orioles were not among the most aggressive or highest spending teams in the offseason, but they did make a number of lower-key moves designed to make the team better in 2010.

Considering that they went 64-98 (including a 20-39 record to end the season) in 2009, it shouldn’t take much to illustrate improvement.

In the first of a three part series looking at 2010, we will look at some of the keys for the Orioles if they hope to show significant improvement and perhaps even register their first winning season since 1997.

Make a Statement Immediately that it is a New Era

Even during their decade of despair, the Orioles have often started the season hot. Since 1998, the Orioles have registered a .500 or better April record in seven of 12 seasons, including five of the last seven.  A year ago, Baltimore started the season with a 6-2 record, but quickly cooled off to finish April with a 9-13 record. In 2008 the Orioles started the season with a 16-12 April, which was their best opening month since starting 16-7 in 2005. Read the rest of this entry →

Photo credit: Charlotte Mace

The Women’s Professional Soccer league (WPS) held the Los Angeles Sol Dispersal Draft with the eight remaining teams via conference call Thursday.

With the seventh pick, the Washington Freedom selected Notre Dame star, Brittany Bock.

“She’s versatile, she can play in multiple positions, and we’re looking forward to seeing her in camp and seeing exactly where she fits in and how she fits in,” said Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra.

Bock fit in nicely with the LA Sol last season, starting 17 of the team’s 18 games. She was part of a solid backline that marked the Sol as the league leader in defense, with a goals against average of 0.5. Read the rest of this entry →