Link of the Day [6.03.10]

broderic on June 3, 2010

I wish I could post this one as a normal video but IniTech blocks "social networking" sites so that blogger is bloggered from work.With all the hoo-ha in baseball over the blown call in Detroit, the retirement of Ken Griffey, Jr. aka The Kid, was overshadowed. Twenty-two years in the majors, no World Series rings, over six hundred homers, and a love and joy for the game of baseball expressed in his smiling face that you can never forget. Dude hit the warehouse in Camden Yards!Today, I give you a video showcasing two good things: The Kid and beating the Yankees. It's from the 1995 ALDS when Seattle beat the Yankees after being down 2 games. This was the deciding fifth game. I think it's in the bottom of the tenth, extra innings. I remember this game, and it has always made me like Seattle.Sayonara, Junior! You're sweet swing and smile will be missed.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOWnLqjF40g

2-3/11-24

broderic on May 14, 2010

May is slowly but inexorably slipping away. Pretty soon Memorial Day will be here and the start of summer. The heat and humidity will arrive soon to bring some misery to those summer days. Currently, the Baltimore nine are doing fine by misery. They've started the season with the second worst start any of their fans could imagine: a 2-16 apacolypse of bad hitting, terribly fielding, and abysmal relief pitching. There starters held there own, but lack of runs and lack of quality relief pitching doomed the Baltimore nine.I've been to several games. The opening day was joy until the final innings. The next two were no better: home team giving up four runs while scoring a measly one. Then, in comes Seattle. They're offense is even worse than ours even with Ichiro. Baltimore also has games against other woeful teams as Cleveland and Kansas City. It is a battle of the losers.After another tearful offensive perfomance against Cy Young winner, Cliff Lee, on Tuesday, the Orioles were able to battle for two straight wins. It lifts the city and the fans hearts out.I attended both games. Wednesday in the rain, Baltimore's silent bats came alive for 5 runs on 11 hits. Thursday the bats were dead again as Seattle's ace, Felix Hernandez, took it to the home team allowing 1 run on 3 hits. That day started off gray, but the sun came out. In the last half of the eighth, with Brandon League relieving Hernandez, the sun shone brightly for Baltimore.Brandon League has a hard time in Baltimore every time I attend a game. Last year, he closes out a four game finale for the Toronto Blue Jays by blowing another save and tossing the game away on a throwing error. Thursday, he gives up two home runs, one of which is a grand slam to starting to heat up Luke Scott. The grand slam is the game winner. The final out happens at the plate on an Ichiro hit, a Corey Patterson throw, and a beautiful tag from Matt Weiters. It brought joy to the fans. Maybe baseball will heat up again in Baltimore.I took the day off. The Yard was filled with kids. They made it loud, but screechy whenever they cheered. I was in dead center waiting for Ichiro or Luke Scott to bomb it there. They both hit a homer on either side of me. A Mets fan brought his buddies to root for the Orioles: high fives were exchanged during the triumphant blasts!Anyway, I'm now 2-3 this year. I've still got nine season ticket games. And I can't wait for more winning.

160 Games Left

broderic on April 8, 2010

It's too early to criticize the Orioles. There are 160 games left. There's plenty of time to make it alright. Two games is not enough to estimate the quality of the team. Yet still, the first two losses of the season are an extension of the ways they lost last year: bullpen collapsing and not hitting with runners in scoring positions.The expectations are high for the fans. We're told the team is on the right path. The team is better than it was last year with the addition of free agents and with the maturation of our young stars. The team will win more games.Expectations can be dashed with reality.Will the free agents add hits and runs while maintaining a solid defense? Will our young players fulfill the potential that baseball scouts say they have? Will our pitching solidify into quality starters and solid bullpen work? Will the team score more runs and give up less runs than last year? Will they make all games competitive?The two games so far make the case for the negative. Our hopes were high. Now we wonder if we were deluding ourselves.But let's see. We still have 160 left.

Hey! Beer here!

broderic on March 12, 2010


IMG_2059
Originally uploaded by felixdaacat.
Looking at the Orioles and hoping that spring training is going to be nothing like the regular season. Except the bats. Not the pitching. And definitely not the losing.

Anyway. I was searching for spring training pictures and came across this set from last season’s penultimate game. We were at this game. So let’s play, “Where’s BrowserMetrics?” Squint real hard and find us.

And the Oscar went to…

broderic on March 8, 2010

The preliminary count of the winner of the BrowserMetrics Oscar Pool in Imax 3D. I still have to tabulate the votes and make sure that my math is correct. Or I can look at the Seeds count.

Looks to be Jeremy Benthem aka The Seed.

I actually got the most points but I am ineligible for the prize.

I’d like to thank you, my participants, for making this fun. It’s you who make it all worth while.

UPDATE 12:34 AM EST
I think this is the final correct tally.
BrowserMetrics 37
Jeremy Bentham 33
Wyman Lee 30
Riss 25
Marge 23
CapSwell 22
Akeshia 22
Annie 22

Baseball Season is Finished

broderic on November 5, 2009

Congratulations to the Yankees for finally winning a World Series after that long drought since 2000.Congratulations to the Phillies for trying, but you lost. Now we know why the Orioles swept you this year. Suckas.See you next season four months from now. I'm getting season tickets right now. Also, opening day. Who's with me?

The One

broderic on October 22, 2009

Congratulations are in order to the Philadelphia Phillies on clinching the National League Pennant last night with a win at home. They beat @Alyssa_Milano's Los Angeles Dodgers. Are they the One? Can they beat those damned Yankees.I used to be rooting for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but they probably won't make it past the most hated Yankees. The Angels need to extend the ALCS though and win the next two which would be awesome, but they won't. They've been playing with trepidation since winning the divisional round over the wack-ass Boston Red Sux, and losing two extra inning games do not help. They are shell-shocked, and can only hope to keep the series respectable. Good luck to them tonight. I'll be rooting, but not too hard.As for the Phillies, they look invincible as they pounded the dodgers. What is awesome is their starting pitching which looks formidable. They may have enough strong arms to keep the Yankee juggernaut bats at bay. The Yankees starting pitching doesn't look as good. I can only think of two starters, and both are unimpressive. CC Sabathia, while having a very good second, can revert to the struggling son of a bitch that the Orioles beat in the season opener. They Yankees will have to rely on their bullpen that is pretty strong, and that Mariano Rivera son of a bitch. He's part of my most favorite of Yankees moments, as he blows a save in 2001, the last time the most hated Yankees were in the World Series. Loved it. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.The Phillies will try to defend their champion status. They were part of the last memorable World Series for me, Toronto versus Philadelphia in the 1993 World Series. That was a great one with Joe Morgan winning the sixth and decisive game on a walk off homer. But there were the nail biters whenever "Wild Thing" came up. And there were characters with Philadelphia's John Kruk. It was great to watch that series. I remember rushing home just to see the games.The Phillies were also the last team that our beloved Baltimore Orioles beat in a post season. The won it all 25 years ago! The Orioles haven't been to the post season since 1997 when they choked up a dismal performance to the Cleveland Indians. Hopefully, sometime soon, the Orioles will be playing for a playoff spot, and hopefully, sometime soon, yours truly would be going to a World Series in Baltimore.As @Alyssa_Milano would say, "Peace, love, and baseball."

Sports Blogging Continues

broderic on October 13, 2009


Wieters connects for 1st Homerun
Originally uploaded by wetwolf24.
We were at this game that night.

It was Marge@TheFishTank’s two favorite teams going mano-a-mano.

It was also Adam Jones Bobblehead night.

It was also awesome for the Aubrey Huff homer late in the game to sock it away for the Orioles.

I again find things on Flickr that is awesome.

Link of the Day [10.011.09]

broderic on October 11, 2009

Every baseball game I went to this season, I hoped to get a ball. One time it was hit straight to me and I dropped it. Another time I picked one up on the ricochet. I have a ball from the park! A sweet souvenir from a nice night at the Park.

This guy, he’s got thousands, and he’s at Camden Yards charging hard for more. Hats off to this guy. We’ll see him next year in the stands, and we’ll race him to the next batted ball.

(Love the part in the article where he gives tips: breasts, little cute kid these will get you a ball.)

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/091008

(ht Camden Chat)