Turkey Day takes
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Today, I am very thankful I have such great family and friends. Also thankful that I get to cover my hometown team, the team I grew up rooting for in the Orioles.
Also, thankful so many of you have found this blog, read it often and even take the time to offer comments. Thanks to all!
Now some Turkey Day takes:
***I wish Radhames Liz good luck with the San Diego Padres. Once one of the O's top prospects, he never was able to have any success with the Orioles. To me a lack of control and a lack of quality secondary pitches kept Liz from Major League success.
He certainly has an electric fastball, but if you can't back it up with at least one other quality pitch, big league hitters will get to you eventually. Maybe the change of scenery will help. He had a chance with the O's, but by the end of the 2009 season, many others had passed him by.
***Baseball fans everywhere (not just O's fans) seem to get excited over every report, article, blog and column this time of year that has even a morsel of info about a free agent. If a writer in Detroit mentions the O's in passing linked to a Tigers player, the talk shows and O's message boards go crazy with fans wondering how soon that player will be an Oriole.
I find that every year only a very small percentage of the stories and speculation about free agents actually ever proves true. Teams keep their real interests close to the vest and don't volunteer the info to the media. Agents spread rumors that likely mostly benefit their own clients.
It all adds up to a mountain of stories and message board-talk that usually leads nowhere in the end. I bet again this year many players wind up in places they were not linked to and many expected and much-discussed moves never take place.
(The following are a couple of non-baseball takes. Indulge me this one time. I promise this blog remains 99.9 percent Orioles and baseball).
***Is there a college football team in the nation that gets more out of its program than the Navy Midshipmen?
Navy has played in seven straight bowl games, won six consecutive commander-in-chief's trophies, won seven or more games for eight straight seasons and has won 14 games in a row vs. Army and Air Force.
The 8-3 Mids play Hawaii this Saturday. Their success is amazing and two of their losses this year are vs. top ten teams in Ohio State and Pittsburgh.
They don't seem to get enough credit for their program. Plus, they have one of the best graduation rates among all college football teams. Not to mention the fact their players will one day be defending our country.
***Terp guard Greivis Vasquez has not played up to expectations yet this season. Through the first six games he is scoring 11 points per game on just 33 percent shooting.
I wonder if Vasquez is pressing to impress the NBA scouts? He shouldn't be. If he just plays his normal game he'll impress plenty of scouts.
I see him breaking out of this "slump" real soon. A 25-point, 10-assist game with good shooting numbers is in his near future.
***Meanwhile, my alma mater, Towson University, is just three games into a new hoops season and with a 1-2 record, I'm already a little disappointed.
In his first five years at Towson, coach Pat Kennedy has won a total of 58 games and always finished near the bottom of the CAA. Plus, the Tigers roster is littered with transfers.
That's no way to build a program.
Kennedy, a coach with a string of nine straight losing seasons at three different schools now, should be a coach on the hot seat.
 |
Categories (click for archive)Orioles News | Steve Melewski |
Happy Thanksgiving Steve and I agree with every one of your takes.
___________________________________
You too, TC....Steve
steve
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.WE APPRECIATE THE INFO YOU PROVIDE THROUHOUT THE YEAR.
___________________________________
Thanks so much Darrell......Steve
Steve, Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your family too.
Agree with you on Radhames Liz, and also on the Navy football program. As far as Maryland goes, I've always rooted for Navy more and is it any wonder why Maryland doesn't want to play them. I no longer buy "the incident" as being the reason. I honestly believe Maryland fears losing to Navy. To me, Navy's athletes are playing for the love of the sport and most importantly, country, and not for a pro contract and shoe deal. Then after their "fun" of playing sports is over, they could possibly be shipped off to war. God bless them all and a big thank you for our military.
The hot stove league in baseball is almost like being a kid at Christmas time, hoping for certain presents to be under the tree come Christmas morning. Hopefully we don't get disappointed this year.
Once again, Happy Thanksgiving!
______________________________________
Thanks for that. Navy and Maryland should play every year on the gridiron in my opinion. Probably the season opener, one year in DC and next year at Ravens Stadium. - Steve
Happy Thanksgiving to you Mr Melewski & fellow readers
* I still love Liz potential as apparently so does SD. He still may have a very good career coming out of the pen.
* Navy had one of the most underrated coaches in sports in Paul Johnson. The guy who took over when he left for GT isnt so bad eitehr. I am not even going to try to spell his name. I wish MD would have hired Johnson.
* Greivis Vasquez is a nice college player but nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. I think he is long shot for the NBA. To me he isnt a good enough shooter & isnt quick enough for a 1,2 or 3 man.
* I would love to see Towson (my parents alma matter) get back on the map. Have they even considered Fang Mitchell? Where is he now, still at Coppin ??
____________________________________________
Just call me, Steve cereal. Paul Johnson is now doing amazing things at GT as well, quite a coach. Think Fang is a lifer at Coppin and I'm sure the Eagles are happy with that. - Steve
Steve,
Best wishes for a restful Thanksgiving.
I like your mention of the Navy football program. It is interesting to note the change in the service academies rivalry. Air Force for many years was the best program, giving way to Navy while the Black Knights have been moribund for too long.
Steve,
Happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for my health, my kids, having a job, and your blog. Appreciate all the news and insight you bring year around. God bless
________________________________________
Many thanks Nebraska....Steve
Happy Thanksgiving from primarily a reader and not a poster. Thanks for all your great info throughout the year...
Steve, Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family and readers. Thank you for getting us so much good behind-the-scenes information about the Orioles.
Certainly the O's rookies were reason for all fans to give thanks in 2009 and reason for us to hope for better in 2010.
As for Greivis, you'll note that he started scoring better against Cincinnati and Wisconsin. Like you say, I think he was pressing early on and should just play his game.
Also, in the first few games I think Gary Williams may have wanted him to focus more on his assists to get Jordan Williams and James Padgett settled a bit into the flow of the Terps' offense. Overemphasizing that, Greivis may have lost his scoring touch a bit. All the Terps had better focus more on their shooting and free throws, because while the defense has been solid early on, the FGP and FTP were awful in the last two games. I expect them to get back on track against the Illini.
________________________________________________
Thanks, Ken. The Terps need to up their play soon. Getting Dino Gregory back Dec 12 should help some. - Steve
Steve,
Hope you had a great holiday. Thanks for the unique blog you do!
________________________________________
Thanks, Joel. It's been a great Turkey Day for me.......Steve
Happy Thanksgiving, Steve. I am thankful for you and your blog. Because there is a place where all Orioles' fans can go and vent. Even though, you get a little upset with some of us, sometimes.
______________________________________________
Thanks Shernorioles.......Steve