What A Game!

Wow, what an exciting win for the O's today! I wish I was watching instead of listening on my computer at work, but the replays definitely lived up to the live calls. Luke is finally starting to get hot, so we need to ride him for all that he's worth right now. And how about Corey Patterson? A homer and the game-saving assist in the 9th...While I didn't like being down 5-1 to the Mariners inept offensive attack, the comeback me feel good about this team and the fight they still have as a unit. Great job! More later...

Orioles Pre-Game Thoughts

While it seems like the entire Western world is getting amped up for LeBron's ouster tonight at the hands of the Celtics (and the final time we'll see him in a Cavs uniform), I'm interested in our area teams, of course. The Orioles are about to face the Mariners for the series finale, and they'll go up against King Felix (Yipes!). Matt Wieters has the day off, and Kevin Millwood will take the hill against a completely inept Mariners offense. I predict that this game will go scoreless until the fifth inning, at least. Other items of interest:

-There's no talk of replacing David Hernandez in the rotation. So, there's no Chris Tillman in the near future.
-Jim Johnson saw Dr. James Andrews today, and we should hear some news later today.
-Corey Patterson, according to Dave Trembley, is in the lineup to keep the O's from grounding into an excessive amount of double plays. However, if he's not on base...

Well, I'm about to watch the game. See ya!

RIP Robin Roberts

Today baseball lost another legend and Hall of Famer...Also a former Baltimore Oriole. Robin Roberts thoroughly dominated the NL between 1952 & 1955 as a member of the Phillies with nearly 4-1 K to BB ratios in 2 of those years. However, in 1962 Roberts became a member of the Orioles after a 1-10 season in Philly and a coffee break with the New York Yankees. He was with the team for 4 years, posting a 3.09 ERA and a 1.145 WHIP during that time...Not too shabby. He won 42 games and recorded 398 strikeouts. So, to an Oriole pitcher that puts are current bunch to shame, thanks for the memories, Mr. Roberts. More later...

CP, LA and LT

An emotional day for sports radio in the DC area today...Between Portis, Arrington, and Taylor, you've got plenty to listen to on the ride home. Busy, busy...More later...

Couple of Things...

I won't get into last night's Nats game too much, as I like to do that in my other blog (Zimtown on mlb.com), but Dunn's ridiculous patience in a late game situation really ticked me off. I love his plate discipline normally, but in that situation he needs to be cranking rather than trying to clog the bases. Just a thought...Anyway, the real news this morning comes courtesy of our friends at 106.7 The Fan. Clinton Portis said some things about Lavar Arrington that were just not cool, even if he doesn't like him. In a nutshell, CP said he was disappointed in Lavar for speaking at Sean Taylor's funeral. What? How does he get off saying who should or shouldn't talk at another man's funeral, and how does he claim to know what Lavar feels about Taylor's death? He says that Lavar used to ruthlessly pick on Taylor, to the point where CP and Taylor were going to 'jump him.' Are you in the 8th grade, Clinton? Were you gonna jump him behind the cafeteria? Anyway, this afternoon's broadcast of the Lavar & Dukes show should be mighty interesting, and must listening for any DC sports fan. More later...

O's are Swept by Yankees

So, the Orioles lost today 7-5, despite scoring four runs in the last two innings. Nothing more to say...

Worse & Worse

Man, this Orioles situation is getting out of hand...Sure, Wiggie just hit a 2-run homer to cut the lead to 3 in the 8th, but it's been another low day for the home town team. Clutch hitting continues to be a problem. Yeah, the Birds are facing O's-killer Andy Pettite, but there has to be an end to excuses...The truth is that our lineup doesn't scare any team in the AL, and it shows. Plus, Atkins is really burning my ass, despite his good batting average against Yankees pitching. He just cost himself an infield single by not running out a groundball down the third-base line. Atkins thought the ball was going to go foul, and didn't run it out. Pathetic...Then, to add insult to injury, Rick Kranitz was tossed from the game after having a legitimate beef about the strike zone. Yep, it's hard being an O's fan lately, and the misery against the Yankees continues...More later...

The Orioles are Killing Me Slowly...

Yep, these 4-1 losses by the Orioles are driving me batty...The Yankees so own us right now, it's not remotely funny. So, I won't spend any more time talking about our offensive woes or why I think Matt Wieters should be playing better (I'm too cruel!). Instead, let's talk about another dysfunctional team in the area...The Wizards. In an interview with Mike Jones this morning, Antawn Jamison claimed that Flip Saunders wasn't the problem with the team last year. 'It was individuals that had too many agendas that weren't the same.' Hmm, wonder who those individuals could be? Gotta get back to work, so I'll talk to you later...

Life...Exciting & New

I need to start packing my life with living, not surviving. Best way to do that: satisfy the three key elements of anyone's life: mind, body, soul.
Mind: Write more and learn more
Body: Exercise and eat right
Soul: Church, read, love my wife everyday
It's as simple as that...yet hard as hell to implement. Then, there are the fringes that make life worth living, such as enjoying nature, listening to music, watching baseball...I could come up with a list to crash this site if I wished. There are so many wonderful things about the world we live in that it's hard to keep focused. I understand how someone with ADD feels (Do I have ADD?)...The lists I keep and sometimes follow do nothing but randomize my life, exacerbating the lack of focus. Well, no more! As much as I love random events, these games I play with living are simply separating me from truly enjoying my life. Therefore, starting today, I will become more ritualized in my actions. Focus should result...Obviously, more on this later.

Lastings Milledge, Will You Kindly Step Off!

I just read an article posted to my Twitter from my good pal @federalbaseball that references an interview Lastings Milledge granted Jim Bowden on his Sirius/XM radio show earlier this week. Now, I know this is low-lying fruit for anyone who's been a Nationals fan for any amount of time, but I had to comment on some of the remarks from this interview. There's a snippet from Milledge's father before the interview transcript, where he states, "This is the first time I've seen smiles on his face." Two things: One: I saw him smiling plenty of times, even when he'd screwed up in the outfield or swung at a pitch two feet below the zone. Two: He's probably happy to be in a baseball market that is not as ridiculously scrutinized as the New York and Washington markets. I could be wrong, but Pittsburgh fans only seem to be concerned with the Steelers and the Penguins. Anyone who thinks I'm wrong...Prove it! In general, though, Milledge is very complimentary to the guys he played with in Washington, including his good buddy Willie Harris. Milledge doesn't seem like a bad guy...He just seems immature, just like our former GM who can't stop talking about us. Find another topic, Jim! Talk to you later...

50 Wins for the Caps!!!

I know it's not as big of a milestone as clinching first in the Eastern Conference, but winning 50 games in a season is a milestone not many teams can brag about. Now, the Caps are one of those teams, defeating the Atlanta Thrashers 2-1 tonight. Matt Bradley scored a third period goal that proved to be the game winner, a nifty backhander that may have also closed the door on the Thrashers' playoff chances. Mike Green had another solid game (including an assist) and Semyon Varlamov stopped 19 of 20 shots. However, the Caps still need to work on defensive posturing, as opponents continue to get behind our defenders at a high rate. Tonight was better in the sense that Varley didn't have to face a shooting gallery for the majority of his 60 minutes of work. But, the Caps need to focus on defensive intensity if they hope to contend for the Stanley Cup. The offense is clearly there, so here's hoping that the defense strengthens soon.

What I Think of the Julio Lugo Acquisition

This morning various sources announced that the Orioles have acquired Julio Lugo from the Cardinals for a player to be named later. No, that player won't be Matt Wieters (Very funny, April Fools pranksters...). What's important right now is what the Lugo deal means to this year's team. Besides a guy who likes to show off his pipe cleaners in UnderArmour shirts, Lugo is a fairly decent offensive middle infielder. He walks a decent amount and has okay speed on the basepaths. Unfortunately, his batting average hasn't been great in a while (particularly against righties, who slay him) and he strikes out a lot more than he should considering his lack of pop. Defensively, he's a solid meh. Two bonuses: He's usually very good against left-handed pitching (an Oriole need) and the Red Sox are still paying for his crappy contract a couple of years back (which just makes me happy on a personal level). However, this acquisition makes me a little nervous, and probably in an irrational way. Lugo plays both shortstop and second base. Could he be insurance in case Roberts' recent back troubles are a little more serious than brass wants to admit? God, I hope not...Anyway, talk to you all later...

Wizards 1-16 in March...Break 'Em Up!

So the Wizards finally broke their team record losing streak last night, beating the New Orleans Hornets 96-91. Yeah, they've been close in a bunch of games this month, but they have never looked really good. And, honestly, the Hornets are clearly punting the rest of the season, so the win wasn't a high quality victory. But, the Wiz are 1-2 in their last 3, whereas the Caps are 0-3. Yeah, that is a HUGE stretch, but it is a positive. Mike Miller was able to hit a layup, Andrae Blatche didn't become a one man gang, and the D managed to survive a late 11-1 run by the Hornets to secure the victory. Sixteen game losing streaks in the NBA are rare, but any losing streak of ten or more games is the sure sign of a team in need of major rebuilding, which is what Wizards fans have to look forward to over the next year. Well, back to work. 2 posts in a day! Later...

I'm Not Fooling...I Hate the Red Sox!

Once again, Jon Lester made the Baltimore Orioles hitters looks stupid. Yesterday was just another chapter in the mastery the lefty has against anyone wearing an O's jersey. Jim Palmer, one of the greatest O's pitchers, practically drooled about Lester, saying 'he's the complete pitcher," and "I put him in five top 5 guys in the majors." Lester is just another reason for me to hate the Red Sox. True, his story of conquering cancer to make it as a dominant starting pitcher is an inspiring tale, but that doesn't temper my venom when his team takes the field. Plus, I can't stand the Youkilis scowl everytime a lineup card is shown on the TV. Yeah, we get it...You're an intense guy. However, you don't even come close in the scary looks department to Albert Belle and Frank Martin. Well, gotta get back to work...Talk to y'all later...

Counting Down to Red Sox & Opening Day

The first hour of the Nationals game on MLB.com was unavailable due to audio technical difficulties, but the part of the game I was able to listen to was dominated by one terrible word: Bergmann. Though I couldn't see his pitches, it sounded like he was getting manhandled by the Marlins (A sound I am way too familiar with as a Nats fan...). It was a case when stats lie: he only gave up two runs, both of which were unearned. But, in relief of starter Garrett Mock, Bergmann gave up five hits in 1/3 of an inning. Mock took the brunt on his ERA, but it was Bergmann's shoddy work that really stood out for me. He couldn't even retire Chris Volstad, a career .123 hitter. It sounded ugly, and it made me glad I couldn't watch it on MLB.tv. Ah, only four more days until the Nats are back at Nats Park for the Red Sox exhibition and only six days until Opening Day. The bullpen may explode, but everything will be right with my world again...

Yesterday was a Quality TV Sports Day

Wow, what a Sunday for the Washington Sports Guy! With the wife working and the weather nasty, I knew that I was in for a long day of sports on the telly. 2 NCAA tournament games, Caps/Flames, and spring training action on MLB Network. Oh, and I also had to listen to the out of town radio broadcasts for the Nats and O's.

Well, the O's game was cancelled, so I could concentrate solely on the Nats, though I knew I'd have to stop listening when the Michigan St/Tennessee started. Not a problem, as the Nats raced to a 9-2 lead before the game started, so I turned on CBS with a clean conscience. And what a game it turned out to be! I walked over to my neighborhood watering hole (Lucky's, right in the heart of the Franconia/Kingstowne area) and watched both the tournament and the Caps game on super huge screens. Fortunately for us, the audio was tuned to the basketball game, as the Caps were horrid to start the game. The Flames were a step faster in every aspect of the first period, and that's what ultimately did the Caps in. Still, the Devils loss clinched 1st in the East. Yes! Anyway, gotta go...Talk to you later!

NL Felker Live Blog

About to get started...Get ready to be wowed!

1st draft pick was Roy Halladay, followed up by Aroldis Chapman and Edwin Jackson. No surprise, considering the players available.

Draft is moving along smoothly. No arguments...

Now, Eric Dyson's Reign of Terror!!!

1 - Christopher Withrow
Julio Teheran
Simon Castro
Arodys Vizcaino
Jiovanni Mier
Brett Jackson
Jaff Decker
Jordan Lyles
Drew Storen
Phillippe Aumont
Andrew Cashner
Thomas Neal
Jay Jackson
Christian Bethancourt
Edward Selcedo
Domingo Santana
Vincent Belnome

Wave Two!

Ramon Troncoso
Dan Meyer
Arthur Rhodes
Takashi Saito
Rafael Betancourt
Trever Miller
Matt Capps
Matt Lindstrom

Jordan Zimmermann
Tim Stauffer
Chris Narveson
Matt Maloney

Gregg Zaun
Chris Snyder

Jeff Clement

Luis Castillo
David Eckstein

Tony Gwynn
Lastings Milledge
Ruben Tejeda

Oliver Perez
Kyle McClellan
Billy Buckner
Antonio Bastardo
Wade LeBlanc
Fernando Nieve
Edgar Renteria

Goalkeeping...

I just learned that Semyon Varlamov will be in goal tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. Also, Coach Boudreau wants a '60 minute effort' from the netminder. Yeah, like he's going to give less, Coach... I really hope Varlamov puts together a couple of fine efforts before the playoffs. Knowing that the Caps have the best offense in the NHL is not enough...To also know that we have two quality goaltenders in tow as well would cement my belief that Washington will win it's first Stanley Cup this year. As for tonight's game, Varly will be facing off against Manny Legace, who left a game last Saturday with a lower body injury. I'm predicting some offensive fireworks tonight! I only hope Varley can stop the shots that make it through to him. Talk to you later...

Washington Sports Guy Succumbs to Temptation

As most of you know, last night was a biggie in Washington sports. Anytime the Caps and Penguins face off, it's a big deal, but this game was particularly huge since the Caps had the chance to sweep the season series with the defending Stanley Cup champs. So, I was leaving work around 6:00 with the intention of watching the game in glorious HD. However, my Twitter obsession lead me to check my list one more time before I left. Lo and behold, BDK from the Junkies and Fox 5 had an extra pass for an advanced screening of Hot Tub Time Machine, which was screening at 7:30 at Mazza Gallerie. I debated for a minute, but my love of freebies and goofy movies overpowered my desire for pizza, beer, and pucks. I headed down to Mazza, met BDK (really cool guy, by the way) and saw the movie for free. As expected, Hot Tub Time Machine had lots of hilarious moments, but my favorite was the running arm joke with Crispin Glover (Trust me: you'll love it!). Immediately after the screening, I raced out of the theater and headed to Chadwick's to watch the remainder of the game. I got there just as the Penguins tied the score at 3. However, to watch the overtime period and the shootout winner by Knuble made me feel like a winner at fitting everything in. Great night last night! Talk to you all later...

By the way, for those looking for a low level shock, Jake Arrieta was sent to minor league camp this morning by the O's... Oh, and there's no broadcast for the Nats game tonight against the Tigers. Sucks!

Big Sports Day in D.C.

Wow, what a day for sports in the D.C. area! Right now, Maryland is up on Duke by 2 at halftime (after leading my double digits earlier in the half), but that's not the half of what's been going on. The Caps addressed their depth needs with a number of trades, including Joe Corvo, Scott Walker, and Eric Belanger (Oh, and an injured Milan Jurcina). The Orioles played their first spring training game of the season and it became the Josh Bell show, who homered from both sides of the plate. Finally, the Hokies beat the Wolfpack, hopefully improving their resume for a tournament berth. Oh, and the Wiz are losing to the Bucks right now, but...Look over here! Anyway, I'll be back with more after the Terps game...

A New Kennedy in Washington

So, Adam Kennedy is the Nationals' probable opening day second baseman, Plan B after dropping out of the Orlando Hudson sweepstakes. Even though the fan side of me screams, "This Sucks," the baseball management side quietly whispers that this is a decent move. Kennedy will cost 1.25 million for one year and will give Ian Desmond the opportunity to improve his defense in the minors. Now, while the middle infield combo of Guzman and Kennedy is surely music to a line drive hitters ears, I think the Nationals are keeping their eyes keenly on both the present and the future. More later...

On The Air

Testing, one, two, three... Since my other blog is now history (Unofficial DC Sports Blog), welcome to the new and improved blog, Washington Sports Guy. I'll be back with more after these messages. Well, I mean, I'll be back after work. Talk to you soon!