I still believe there was some Birdland in yesterday's tragedy.  Since no one else has allowed voting for the THIRD game in a row I guess I'll keep the faith and throw this thing up here.

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Sorry for my 8 month hiatus.  It actually wasn't because the O's sucked from August on.  I actually watched the games... when i could, but I couldn't post as much as I wanted to.  This stupid job thing kept getting in my way...  but now that I'm over that....

The CC MBP Page is back.  Those who are doing the post games please remember to include the poll for MBP voting that should close when the next O's game is scheduled to start.  Go O's!!!

Magic, magic, magic, magic... Orioles Magic... FEEL IT HAPPEN!!!

The time is now, the place is now.

What would John Gibbons Do?

We LoVe CoOkInG tOo!

The day the MDM was avenged... June 30, 2009

Bergie blew out ZAUN (not surprisingly) and somewhat surprisingly Luuuke eeked by Adam Jones, Son! in a very tight vote. Now it's finals time. Who will it be? The boy wonder callup? Or the surprising wild card? Vote for your Mid point MBP!

#1 Adam Jones, Son!
                                         #4 Luuuke
#4 Luuuke

#2 Brad "3E" Bergesen
                                        #2 Brad "3E" Bergesen
#3 ZAUN

The autobid for ZAUN vs. Boy Wonder, the fave Call up, Brad "3E" Bergesen.

Adam Jones outduelled Nicky for the #1 Seed and Luke JUST eeked out the #4 Wildcard Spot from Penni.

Poll closes at Midnight Tonight.

So... as we all know, the all-star break is upon us.  The HR Derby was yesterday.  I started to watch it but it quickly bored me.  In my opinion the HRD has run its course.  It was cool for a while to see how far juiced up players could hit juiced up balls with juiced up bats, but last night I found it very monotonous.  So, I did what any sports fan would naturally do...  I kept it on my tube.  Following the HRD was the Celebrities & Legends Softball game.  Who knew Nelly was so good at softball?  Who knew that Bobby Knight had such a soft spot for 4 1/2 ft tall, gold medal winning, gymnasts?  And who the hell knew that Goose Gossage played all the way until 1994?!?  I always thought that he was a Sepia Tone Era guy.  Must've been his name, I dunno.  But anyway.  Tonight's The Game.  But, really, who cares about the good-for-nothing-but means-something-when-it-shouldn't-because-it's-just-an-exhibition-game-anyway game.  Enjoy seeing the "best of the best" play on the same field, but to me it's not a particularly big deal.  Again...  because I'm a good fan it'll be on my TV.  The real important business at this, the "halfway" house point is, if the season ended today who would get the MBP award for the season?

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Time to vote for a Wild Card MBP... based on whatever the hell you like.  Included are all players currently on the roster except for those who already have a spot in the MBP Tourney or who are already battling for a spot in the MBP Tourney (Jones, Markakis, Zaun, Bergie) and anyone who has earned at least 1 MBP award already whether or not they're still with the team, and Amber Theoharis... Because she's Amber.  The number in parenthises is the number of MBP's that they have earned.

Adam and Nicky.  Nicky and Adam.  They share an address (now).  They also share the same amount of Birdlandery.  The time is Now.  The Place is Now...  to separate them.

This is sorta off topic but pretty f-ing hilarious.

Apparently Anthrocon 2009 is in Pittsburgh the same week as the Mets.

Ok, so really it's the Mets reporter... but I'll bet more than a few of the players are freaked out too.

 I just took a picture with a person who was dressed like Ralph Wigam as a Beaver

 

Yes, folks, this is what happens when the O's are out left, and I'm at work on the Friday before 4th of July.

One score and three years ago an unknown force brought forth in the deep south, a new Birdland savior, conceived miraculously to a bat and glove, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are less equal than he.

Now we are engaged in a terrible war, testing the PHN, or MFY, and the Rays formerly known as Devil, that will end their reigns. We are met on a great path of bases of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of the path between first and second, but closer to second, as a final resting place for those who are less powerful than Wieters, every challenger. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we will not dedicate -- will not consecrate -- will not hallow -- this ground. The "speedy" men, all dead, who struggled here, thought they were far above his  power only to be gunned down. The world will long remember what he says and does here, and will never forget what they tried here. It is for he, The Wieters, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who floundered under PA have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great Wieters -- that from these dead, victims of the cannon, we take increased delight in the ineptitude that led them to the last full attempt of thievery -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall have died in vain -- that Birdland, under Wieters, shall have a new birth of winning -- and that the League of America shall not perish to the likes of PHN or MFY ever again.

So if you watched the game, you know how it went. If you didn't... you're a better person for it.

Brian Bob did it again... almost single-handedly scoring. He led the game off with a single. followed by an Adam Jones, son! single. Nicky failed to move them along so Brian Bob decided to he'd just take third base. And so he did. Aubrey Huff then grounded out to first base. But the always alert Roberts took that oppurtunity to put the only Orioles run on the board. 1-0, Good Guys. Like I said, the ONLY Orioles run, so that would be it for the offense.

Bergesen started out, um, OK. He got Jeter to ground out right back to him followed by a bloop single by Girly-Arm to center (apparently AJ,S wasn't playing so shallow afterall). After he got Boo! Teixeira to ground out to the Man-Horse himself with Damon moving to second, he decided to throw it beyond the grasp of ZAUN. Afterwhich, A-Roid absolutely slobber-knocked a ball to left center; beyond the bullpens.

There the score stood, 2-1. And there it would stand as Bergesen and Cookie Monster found themselves locked in a pitchers' duel. Bergesen retired 13 in a row after the homerun going to the 6th inning before allowing his next baserunner, a single to Cervelli who was subsequently caught stealing 2nd. After the Roberts score, including Aubrey Huff, CC retired 11 in a row until Peni singled to lead off the 5th.

Into the 7th the game would go with a 2-1. MFY score. Here is where the wheels fell of the bus. I won't go into to detail because it hurts so much. I will tell you that Bergey got who my wife thinks is the ugliest player in baseball, Hideki Matsui, to ground out to the Man-Horse. After that the O's would go through 2 pitchers and allow 7 runs before the next out was recorded. And who do you think was our savior? That's right. Hendo. The Hendmeister. He would come in and put the fire out, retiring Rodriguez and Matsui. Obviously quite a lot happened to allow the atrocities that I witnessed last night, but as I said, it hurts so much.

The rest of the game would go quietly and you see the final result. I guess we all have our health, huh? But that's not much consolation when we could have John Gibbons.

and the ensuing "MBP or No MBP" discussion, I have decided to post a poll

Our favorite talking neck, Anita Marks, thinks The Orioles and Orioles fans are missing the boat by not creating a happening place and naming it for AJ and Nicky... a place similar to Chicago's Bleacher Bums.   She makes a decent argument for doing something.  They're two of (or at least will be) the best outfielders in the AL, if not baseball, they're young, and they should be around for a while so in her opinion now is a great oppurtunity to market those two defensively by creating a happening place for them.

Would you be interested in a attending a game at such a location, and if so, what you name it.

Two names called in are No Jack City, and The Birds' Nest.  Also called in was a signage idea- "Where triples go to die."

The lineups

By Roch Kubatko on April 10, 2009 3:31 PM| Permalink | Comments (0)

For the Orioles:

Brian Roberts - 2B
Adam Jones - CF
Nick Markakis - RF
Aubrey Huff - 1B
Melvin Mora - 3B
Luke Scott - DH
Ryan Freel - LF
Gregg Zaun - C
Cesar Izturis - SS
Mark Hendrickson - P

Manager Dave Trembley wanted to get Freel in the lineup. He knows it's going to be difficult, with Scott, Felix Pie and Ty Wigginton also on the roster, but he did it tonight.

For the Rays: 

Bartlett - SS
Crawford - LF
Longoria - 3B
Pena - 1B
Burrell - DH
Kapler - CF
Navarro - C
Zobrist - RF
Iwamura - 2B
Sonnanstine - P

Ravens Season in Seven Words

Just like the title says... this is a blatant rip-off and all the credit for the idea goes to BostonWahoo over there. But as they say, "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery," and in that tone, I liked the idea so much I wanted to try it over here.

I'll start it-
He is not a rookie any more

75 M*****F****** words?!? F*** You, you piece of S***.

now go get your Hunt Trophy.

Second, listening to 1057 The Fan out of Baltimore (Mark Viviano & The Bulldog) I heard a relatively humorous Rex Ryan audio clip.  I've searched for the audio but can't find it so I'll just have to post the quote. 

from Fanhouse.com

 

During a Thursday presser, [Rex] Ryan, when asked about Willie Parker looking better, offered this with a smile on his face:
"I guess he got a lot of yards against San Diego, and I read all the experts say we would have given up 150 yards to the running back from Tennessee. ...But remember, he never finished the game for some reason. Whatever that reason is, they can cry all they want. Who cares? We're here. We're still playing, and they can watch us."

I know festivus was a term coined back in 2000, and I don't know if you all have read/heard this poem yet, but I decided to post it here anyway.

'Twas the night before Festivus, when all through Charm City
Ravens fans were stirring and even felt giddy.
The jerseys were hung by the chimney with flare,
In hopes that Joe Flacco soon would be there.

The fans were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of the playoffs danced in their heads.
And when we awoke and December 28 was the date,
We just settled down for a winter's tailgate,
When out in the end zone there arose such a clatter,
The opponent looked over to see what was the matter.

In a huddle of players that looked like a flash,
The Ravens looked ready for a hard-hitting clash.
The season had boiled down to one single game
as the players were looking for more than just fame,

 And what to my wondering eyes looked intense,
For it was Ray Lewis...and the Baltimore defense.

A terrifying unit, so lively and quick,
They’ll hit you, they’ll haunt you, or even grab the pick.
More rapid than wolves these hunters they came,
And Ray whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"T-Sizzle! now, JJ! now, Bannan, Haloti!
On, Trevor! on Leonhard! on, Reed and Samari!
To the top of the mountain! to the top of the hill!
Knock them out! Get the ball! Now in for the kill!"

And then, the offense, led by a menacing line,
Came onto the field and was ready to fly.
A three-headed monster was at running back,
led by McClain, a big rumbling mack.
And Mason the veteran, with his shoulder so sore,
Kept reining in passes, one, two, three, more!

And finally, a sight so perfect, so new;
a quarterback to be proud of, a little like Johnny U.
Joe Flacco was ready to take the city by storm,
his cannon for an arm much better than norm,
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And led them downfield, the fans going berserk.

The Ravens were ready to give such a gift
to the fans of Baltimore who needed the lift.
Coach Harbaugh exclaimed, while his team looked so sleek,
"Happy Festivus to all, and we’ll see you next week."

Did anyone else find it odd at the lack of replays CBS chose to air during the Ravens/Titans game? 

Just to segue into this article at ProFootballTalk.com.

via www.profootballtalk.com

During the game, I was wondering about CJ actually getting out of the endzone on that play too, but I never noticed the "extra" down TEN got.  This article pretty much takes any argument about the delay of game no-call and makes it null and void.

Any thoughts?

According the AP (according to The Sun) the Ravens can clinch the last wild card simply with a NE loss.  Can anyone validate this for me... is it true?  That would be nice.  Since our game was flexed to 4:15 and the NE game is at 1:00, we would know if it was still a "must win."

According to the article:

NORTH DIVISION

PITTSBURGH STEELERS -- Clinched the division and a first-round bye.

RAVENS -- Can clinch a playoff spot with:

1) A win

2) A tie and a Miami loss or tie

3) A tie and a New England loss or tie

4) A New England loss.

A little help anyone?

Or are we just not actually noticing it?

I, for one, have no problem with instant replay in baseball.  So what if the games get a little longer.  One of the joys of the game is the fact that it has no time limit.  I think this whole speed up the game thing is just ploy by televisors to fit in more programming and get more ad revenue.  Let the game go how its going to go.

The most important thing is that the calls get called correctly!

PS-"F" YOU Jeffrey Maier!!!