Monthly Archive for June, 2007

At least there’s that

Published
by
Jake
on June 13, 2007
in MLB and Orioles
. 0 Comments

As this season continues to be mediocre (losing to the Nats doesn’t help) at least Roch Kubatko brings word that this year’s breakout player Jeremy Guthrie won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. At least there’s that:

The good news is the Orioles have Jeremy Guthrie on their roster.

The great news is he’s not going anywhere, either.

Guthrie is still a rookie, as I’ve written in the past. As a team spokesman explained earlier today, the right-hander’s days on Cleveland’s active roster before September call-ups and his innings pitched didn’t qualify him for a full season. The Orioles have him under control for five more years as long as he remains on the major league roster.

Thanks to PR director Bill Stetka for the speedy explanation.

Published
by
Jake
on June 13, 2007
in Odds and Ends
. 0 Comments

working?

What Gilbert wants

Published
by
Jake
on June 13, 2007
in Gilbert Arenas, NBA and Wizards
. 0 Comments

Interesting comment from Ivan Carter in today’s WaPo chat:

Ivan Carter: I can tell you this from speaking with Gilbert reguluarly: He’s not going to go into Ernie’s office and demand that any specific moves get made but he would like to see the following:

1. Keep Brendan and make Brendan and Eddie work out their differences. “We can win with Brendan, that’s been proven.” (that’s a direct quote from Gilbert)

2. Keep DeShawn Stevenson. Gilbert and DeShawn hit it off both on and off the court this season and we all can agree that when asked to fill the play defense, hit opens shots, don’t turn the ball over and run the floor roll, DeShawn was a perfect fit.

3. Beef up that bench. Gilbert never liked seeing Juan Dixon bolt town because he liked him as a shooter/scorer coming off. He’d like to see the Wiz get a guy like that and get a young, bit, athletic type (think of what Paul Millsap did for Utah this season).

Let me comment on all three comments.

1. I am of the belief that Haywood and Jordan simply can not coexist anymore and that while Ernie in all likelihood wants to keep Brendan, its become either Eddie or Haywood, not both. I don’t want to get rid of Haywood for nothing but I wouldn’t be opposed to finding him a new home.

2. Sure, lets keep DeShawn (as long as we’re talking $10 mil over 3, not $25 over 5). I think when Gilbert was healthy he did a solid, if not spectacular job. He clearly hurt himself alot with his awful play when Gil and Butler were shelved but I dont think that is an accurate reflection of who he is as a player.

3. Oh yes please. Our bench has been pathetic for too long (adios Jarvis). I’m all for adding a good shooter/scorer, if you can get one (in the draft maybe?)

So nothing too out of the ordinary there. What Gil wants is what I think pretty much every Wizard fan wants and, perhaps more importantly, what Ernie wants too. Will it all happen? I guess we’ll see.

Published
by
Jake
on June 13, 2007
in MLB and Odds and Ends
. 0 Comments

Old but still amusing. Kids these days.

The irony is painful

Published
by
Jake
on June 11, 2007
in MLB and Orioles
. 0 Comments

Freddie Bynum started in center field for the O’s yesterday. The WaPo has a little notebook accompanying the game story about Bako, Bynum and Gomez starting yesterday that includes this tidbit:

An infielder by nature, Bynum said he has grown accustomed to roaming the outfield grass and that he preferred playing the role of traffic cop.

“I love center field better than left or right because you see balls good,” Bynum said. “Everything goes off you. All you got to do is say, ‘I got it! I got it!’ and ‘Get . . . out of the way!’ and hope that they get . . . out of the way.”(Italics mine)

Hmmm. You see the balls good huh? From the WaPo game story:

After Matt Holliday singled and center fielder Freddie Bynum misplayed a Todd Helton fly ball in the fifth, Spilborghs became an annoyance to the Orioles yet again when he slapped a two-out, two-run single into right field. (Italics mine)

Laugh or cry? Laugh or cry?

Published
by
Jake
on June 11, 2007
in Blogs and Odds and Ends
. 0 Comments

Kudos to SB Nation. Their new site looks really good, a vast improvement over the old one. (via Bullets Forever)

Published
by
Jake
on June 11, 2007
in Gilbert Arenas, NBA, Odds and Ends and Wizards
. 0 Comments

Yes this is my computer’s (both at home and work) desktop background. You got a problem with that cuz?

Wallace for Jamison?

Published
by
Jake
on June 6, 2007
in Wizards
. 0 Comments

Now that’s an interesting idea. Bill Simmons has an interesting trade idea that, more then likely, has not the slightest change of happening (this is in the context of Simmons suggesting the Pistons blow up their roster):

Deal Wallace (two years and $26 million remaining on his deal) in a three-way trade in which ‘Sheed goes to Washington, Antawn Jamison (expires in 2008) goes to Portland and Zach Randolph goes to Detroit. … Or they could just deal ‘Sheed for Jamison straight up if they wanted the cap space.

Now this leaves me conflicted. I actually like Jamison, though more as a person then I do as a player. And I love Wallace’s game but think he’s a total head case. Having said that, I’d much rather have Wallace then Jamison on the Wizards as they are currently constructed. Wallace is a top-notch defender, Jamison, uh, is not. Wallace, as he has shown in Detroit, has no problem not being the go-to guy which is a must on team that has Gilbert Arenas (not to mention All-Star Caron Butler). Wallace, at least in a basketball sense, would seem to be exactly what the Wizards need.

But of course it won’t happen, more then likely for the same reasons we won’t be trading for Zach Randolph anytime soon. Abe Pollin prefers high character guys without a history of trouble making: Jamison is that, Wallace and Randolph are, in a word, not. So would I like to see a deal like this (or the Randolph deal) happen? Yeah, pretty much. I love Jamison and I’d miss him but the Wizards would be a better team with Wallace and thats what really matters.

(post inspired by Bullets Forever’s posting)