2008: A Memoir

This time in my life can be viewed in many different ways. At first, it appeared to be a disappointing time then quickly turned to an exciting and proud period. However, as a result of this change in emotions for the period, I experienced pain. But, worse than the pain, there was agony.

The time was mid February and the excitement of the 8th Grade St. Ursula Huskies being in the playoffs was in the hearts of many. The Huskies have been dominate all season and were looking to carry it on into the playoffs and their post-season tournaments. And, the first tournament before all the festive playoffs started was the St. Mary’s Tournament. The Huskies had been playing there all season and knew how to play against, and beat every team that would be participating. There would only be four teams trying to win the trophy: Mother Mary Lange, Cardinal Sheehan, St. Francis of Assisi, and the St. Ursula Huskies. The Huskies were matched up with St. Francis of Assisi and cruised into an easy victory. They played the winner of the Cardinal Sheehan and Mother Mary Lange, and, Mother Mary Lange won on a half court buzzer beater. So, the Huskies had to face Mother Mary Lange, a team they had faced one time and lost to by a pretty hefty margin.

Game week arrived and the entire team was pumped for payback and to win the gold. And, game anticipation was already building up with the speculation of smack talk by Mother Mary Lange. It was said that the Mother Mary Lange coach told the Cardinal Sheehan coach after the game that “this should have been the championship because that St. Ursula team has got nothing.” After hearing this, we knew we had to come out of the gates and play our best game ever and leave it all out there on the court. Well, on game day, that didn’t quiet go as planned. The SUS Huskies came out dull and appeared to be tired. Mother Mary Lange was just running up and down court scoring basket after basket on the slower SUS defense. Going into halftime, it wasn’t looking good for SUS who were playing in front of a packed gym. The Huskies come back out after halftime, down by 12, but rejuvenated. They come onto the court with relentlessness in their eyes. They start out hot and quickly cut the lead to single digits and then a tie. The Huskies keep it close all the way down to the end when they start to pull away.

Late in the fourth quarter is when I was devastated. The game is see-sawing back and forth and no team could establish a clear-cut lead. Sometime late in the fourth quarter that is still unclear to me exactly when to this day, my coach calls a timeout. All I recall is that I walked over to the bench, sat down, let the adrenaline die down, then realize my finger is in intense pain. I don’t know how it happened. I don’t know when it happened. All I know was that it hurt intensely. But, I continued to play in this close game.

After the timeout, the clock starts to dwindle and we realize we are now in the clutch time. With the game tied with approximately two minutes left to play and after I tie the game, my team must inbound the ball. I take the ball out of bounds and find the open man. I then run in bounds and get the ball right back because of blown coverage. Somehow, I drive past one defender and make my way to the basket while the other defender just moves out of my way and lets me score. I was puzzled, but I was happy about the result. The Huskies are now up two with less than two minutes to play. Nobody scores on their possession until there is approximately thirty seconds left to play. Our team must inbound the ball underneath our own basket. Obviously we pass the ball to our best player. It was a great pass but he was heavily guarded and had to fall down the catch the ball and regain possession. He does successfully as his defender falls on him and wraps his arm around him. Any other time it would be a foul, but, not this time. Instead, a jump ball is called. And, of course, it is now Mother Mary Lange’s ball. Lange drives all the way down court and gives it to their largest kid. The kid has to be at least six feet tall and bigger than any player on St. Ursula. Right when the big kid gets the ball, he turns to shoot. Then, the same player who was just a victim of a bad call runs down court and blocks the shot and the ball lands out of bounds. Wisely, my coach calls a timeout to set up the defense. Our main plan-to guard the three point shot. Well, that didn’t work out so well. Somehow, their best player was left wide open and hit a three as time expired to win the game. Yes, this is the same player who hit the half court shot to put them there in the first place. Devastation ran through the body of all parents, coaches, and players of St. Ursula.

The pain from the loss quickly subsided. But, there was still that other pain. That was the pain of my at one time thought to be sprained finger. The pain got worse and worse. But I, thinking it was the right thing to do at the time, played through the postseason with my ailing finger. Yes, we won championships, but in the time to come, I lost a lot more. In the month after, I got my finger further inspected by a hand specialist. I was told that a tendon tore in the top part of my finger and tore off a bone chip. The only solution was to have surgery and miss baseball season. But, it had to be done. I have to miss one of the best times of the year. But, I will look on this period of time always with remembrance. Not for the devastating way we loss, not for the pain and agony I was put through with my broken finger, but yet that if you leave it all out on the court on every single play you can make the game enjoyable. And, as for that coach who counted us out before it began, he learnt a lesson as well.

2008: Orioles Off Day Thoughts

The Orioles have been very impressive this year. I am very proud of them. And, you can just tell that the entire city of Baltimore has Oriole Fever.

So, let it live now!

These young birds have been very outstanding throughout this even younger season. They each deserve recognition. Yes, they should be considered a team; but they already get team recognition. So, now they each deserve recognition.

Brian Roberts-#1-2B

At the beginning of spring training, we had no idea if Brian was going to be in the Baltimore uniform come Opening Day. They gave us scares throughout the spring with rumors that said he was traded, but in reality, he was still an Oriole. He is one of the most dangerous lead off batters in the game and he helps the Orioles extremely. One of the obvious threats of Brian Roberts is his speed. It’s not only his speed, but his extraordinary ability to get the best jump off the bag. This has produced stolen bases that have led the league in the past. Now, he is 4th in the MLB with 7 SBs. But, unlike years past, he is not perfect in his stolen base attempts. He is 7 for 9. But, Roberts has been mired in a hitting slump his past few games. He is 2 for his last 24. That’s ugly leadoff numbers. But, somehow, the Orioles seem to be able to rally without their leadoff man and best base stealer on base.

Best Game of ’08 Season So Far:

4/7-Mariners @ Orioles
Roberts-3/4, 2 RBIs, 1 2B
Orioles Win 5-4

Robert fails to reach base only one time in this game. He also tied the game up at 4 a piece in the 5th by singling home Adam Jones. The Orioles later won the game 5-4 in by an Aubrey Huff homerun in the 8th in front of 10,774 ecstatic fans.

Melvin Mora-#6-3B

After the Orioles gave away a lot of their veteran talent for young and talented kids, we knew one thing was for sure. And that was that Melvin Mora was the leader. That’s simple. No, he didn’t have to lead with his bat, but yet by experience in which he could hand down to fellow infielder Luis Hernandez and other prospects. But, if Mora did have to lead by example of his bat, we would be having problems now. Mora is batting .216. Yea, that’s ugly. However, he has driven in 9 Orioles which is 3rd most on the team and he has rocketed 3 homeruns which is tied with Millar and Markakis for team lead. Mora’s on base percentage is .256 which is the 2nd worst among Oriole starters. But, once again, he has 28 out of the 253 total bases for the Orioles. On the other side of the window, his glove has been pretty constant. Hot shots are hit his way all day. Yet, he lies out on one knee, fields it routinely, and guns out the runner. His two errors do not reflect the way he has played with the leather. But, that surely doesn’t make up for his constant rally homicide he commits day in and day out.

Best Game of ’08 Season So Far

4/2 Rays @ Orioles
Melvin Mora- 1/3, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R
Orioles win 9-6

Melvin only had one hit that game, but that was very crucial. He singled with 2 men on to pull the Orioles within 1 run with 6 innings to play. But, the most important part was in the 8th inning. Mora drew a walk to start a rally that ended with the Orioles putting a 4 on the scoreboard and a W on the calendar. Off that walk, the Orioles responded by another walk by Kevin Millar and a 2 run double by Aubrey Huff that put the Orioles in the lead.

Nick Markakis-#21-RF

Nick Markakis is the Orioles at this point. He is an all around player that the Orioles love. You hear about Luke Scott and Aubrey Huff producing this year, but you don’t hear about Nick Markakis because we all expected it from him. Nick is 1st on the team in runs, 2nd in hits, 1st in HRs, 2nd in total bases, 4th in RBIs (is batting Mora and Roberts ahead of him), 1st in BBs, 2nd in SBs, 2nd in average, 1st in on base percentage, 2nd in slugging, 2nd in OPS, and 1st in OF assists. He has the batting eye, the contact, the speed, the consistency, the fielding, and the arm that could take him above and beyond. His arm could almost put him in the same category as a Vladimir Guerrero and Ichiro. He could easily hit .300 for the next 5 years straight. ESPN has called him a potential 30/30 threat for the year. On top of all that, he is Mr. Clutch for the Orioles. I can’t remember how many walk-offs or go ahead RBIs he had last year.

Best Game of ’08 Season So Far:

4/6- Mariners @ Orioles
Nick Markakis- 2/3, 1 R, 1 BB, and 1 2B
Orioles Win 3-2

Going into the 9th down 2-0, the Orioles appeared defeated. But, Nick Markakis had another say. He starts the inning off with a double. Then here it all comes. Markakis scores on a groundout. Makes it 2-1 then the lower half the order delivers the win.

Kevin Millar-#15-1B

Kevin Millar symbolizes a lot of things for the Orioles. He symbolizes the new attitude in which he brought over from Boston. His care free spirit and love of the game can influence any team. But, he also represents the Orioles lack of power. He is our four hole hitter who nobody outside of Boston, New York, Baltimore, and Florida has heard of. The four hole hitter should set the tone for the lineup. Just like A-rod does in New York or David Ortiz does in Boston. Yes, Millar leads the team in homeruns, but his seasonal homerun totals aren’t 4 hole hitter-like. This year, his hits, RBIs, and total bases are all 3rd on the team. But, like his career implies, his average is poor. Batting .254 while being surrounded by hitters like Roberts, Markakis, and Scott isn’t good for the team. But, he is playing well, just not clean-up spot well.

Best Game of ’08 Season So Far:

4/14- Blue Jays @ Orioles
Kevin Millar- 2/4, 3 RBIs, 1 run, 1 HR
Orioles win 4-3

Kevin Millar was the entire Orioles offense despite leaving 3 men on base. He knocked in 3 of the 4 runs in the Orioles win as well as a 2 run HR in the 5th inning off of Dustin McGowan. If you take Kevin Millar’s numbers out of that game, the Orioles are a combined 11 for 27. Yes, 11 hits, but, only one of those runs would score.

Luke Scott -#30-LF

When Luke Scott came over from Houston as the centerpiece in the Miguel Tejada deal, we didn’t know what to expect. Now we know. He has all chanting “MVP! MVP! MVP!”, as well as the much loved, “LUUUUUKE!” He is by far the MVP of this young Orioles’ season. His 22 hits, 9 2Bs, 34 total bases, .361 batting average, .557 SLG, and 1.000 OPS all lead the Orioles. His numbers are looking amazing in his first year in a new league and ball park. He is obviously seeing the new pitching very well and is responding well to Camden Yards. At home he is batting .415 with 4 RBIs and 5 2Bs. He obviously is comfortable in Baltimore

Best Game of ’08 Season So Far:

4/5- Mariners @ Orioles
Luke Scott- 3/3, 1 BB, 2 RBI, 1 Run, 1 2B
Orioles win 6-4

Besides the obvious fact that Scott was perfect in that game, also, one of the two runs he drove in tied the game. Luke Scott did not leave one man on base that game. Whenever he came up, he got on with them or put them in.

Aubrey Huff-#17-DH

You call us a “horseshit town,” well guess what, we boo you. That’s until you hit homeruns and doubles. Don’t you love the power of the bat? Yea, Huff said that Baltimore was horseshit and some other things in a radio interview. But now, nobody cares. He hit some late inning homeruns to win games and went 4/4 and now we don’t know what he said. Huff was tearing the cover off the ball in the beginning of the year. Now, he has cooled off some. But he is still a power in the middle of that line-up. He is leading the team in RBIs and for a very good reason.

Best Game in ’08 Season So Far:

4/8- Orioles @ Rangers
Aubrey Huff- 4/4, 4 RBIs, 1 2B, 1 BB
Orioles win 8-1

AND

4/7- Mariners @ Orioles
Aubrey Huff- 1/4, 1 RBI, 1 Run
Orioles win 5-4

These two games for Aubrey were too big to decide just one. Aubrey Huff goes 4 for 4 in Texas as the Orioles win 8-1. Huff drives in half of the Orioles’ runs. We all now know the boo’s gone. Especially because of the game he had the day before. Aubrey Huff hit a homerun in the 8th inning to give the Orioles a 5-4 lead over the Mariners. His clutch on the 7th and his perfection on the 8th earned him all the cheers and the rid of the jeers.

Adam Jones-#10-CF

Like Kevin Millar symbolizes energy for the Orioles, Adam Jones symbolizes change. He came over as the young, highly thought of prospect from Seattle. His number choice was even more of a change for Oriole fans. We got rid of our longtime #10, Miguel Tejada, the past winter and now Adam Jones comes to cleanse the number that was tarnished with steroids, lack of effort, and overall unwillingness to play for this team. He is looking to bring love back to the #10. Now, for his performances, its either that he is inconsistent or a bad learner. He had one game in which he went 0-4 with 4 K’s. Then, the very next game, he was 3-3 with a walk. That tells me he either listened very well to what the Crow had to say, or he just isn’t consistent. I guess we will see.

Best Game in ’08 Season So Far:

4/17-White Sox @ Orioles
Adam Jones-1/4, 1 RBI
Orioles win 6-5

Adam Jones steps up to the plate with one man out and runners on 1st and 2nd with the game tied in the 10th. He could have hit into a double play and ended the inning, but he didn’t. He scorched what would have been a double down the left field line that scored Kevin Millar from 2nd. First walk-off in his Orioles career in which we hope will be many.

Luis Hernandez-#2-SS

Nothing too big was expected from Luis. He had a very tough spot to fill as he filled in for Miguel Tejada at short. We all knew he couldn’t hit even close to what Miguel Tejada could. Miguel Tejada was a clean-up man while Luis has found his spot ninth. We also knew we weren’t getting the same defense. What we did know was that we would get a better attitude. And now, his numbers don’t stand out so he has loss playing time. Brandon Fahey has seen playing time at SS and hasn’t performed either. So now, the Orioles are looking into another option. And that is calling up former White Sock, Alex Cintron, from AAA.

Best Game in ’08 Season So Far:

4/6- Mariners @ Orioles
Luis Hernandez-1/3, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Orioles win 3-2

Luis Hernandez has been an automatic out all year, until now. He steps up to bat with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th in a tied game. He singles to center to drive in Jay Payton. The hero! His first hit of the season is a walk off, who likes drama?

Ramon Hernandez-#55-C

What can i say? His numbers look bad. And they are bad.

And The Pitcher of All Orioles Pitchers:

Matt Albers-#34-RP/SP

First Luke Scott and now Matt Albers, they both came over in the Tejada deal and are putting up numbers earlier than expected. Doesn’t this look good for the Orioles? Albers has allowed 8 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K’s, and 2 W’s in 1 start and 5 bullpen appearances. His .68 ERA is outstanding as well as his amazing control are making the Orioles a feared bullpen.

Best Game of ’08 Season So Far:

4/8-Orioles @ Rangers
Matt Albers- 2 IP, 2 hits, 4 K’s, 0 ER
Orioles win 8-1

Yes, this came in a blow out, but his performance was phenomenal. He was coming off his first start of the year in which he allowed only 5 hits and one run. He came out of the pen for more than his usual 1 inning. He struck out more batters than he has ever. All this was in the expense of 2 hits, but well worth it.

In conclusion, the Orioles just mesh. They have been playing great and winning almost every series they play it. The city of Baltimore should be proud, yet optimistic. Yea, we are in 2nd, but its April. Yea, its April, but we have a team we don’t know much about. Yea, we don’t know much about our team, but we do know they are young. And another thing we know is that the Orioles have a better record than our close companions, the Nationals who are THE WORST IN THE MLB! EAT IT!