Baltimore update....

So it has been a while since the bar last opened for discussion, and hopefully we won't need to be gone this long again.  I am working on adding a new audio portion to the blog and possible video blogs as well.  For right now though lets dive in to the recent Baltimore sports news that has been out and open the discussion on your thoughts...

HERE WE GO....

Ray Rice's Agent says he deserves Adrian Peterson $$$$$$$...

Lets get ahold of some reality here folks because Ray Rice doesn't deserve AP money or even Chris Johnson money.  Hell Chris Johnson doesn't even deserve Chris Johnson money.  He got that contract because the Titans couldnt afford to lose Jeff Fisher, Vince Young AND CJ at one time so they over paid..BIG TIME.  The fact is that the NFL running back is COMPLETELY replaceable in today's NFL.  Just look at the draft as there is rarely a RB taken in the 1st round these days (Rice taken 2nd rd, Arian Foster undrafted, leGarrette Blunt taken 7th rd) and when was the last time a team with a feature back or super RB won a Super Bowl? (Sorry Giant fans your guys are not top backs)

Ray Rice's agent better be looking at the new Arian Foster deal and hoping that is what the Ravens offer instead of his client playing on a one year franchise tag.  The Arian Foster deal shows exactly my point to the value of today's RB and is the exact right contract for Foster and Rice.  His deal is a 5yr $43.5 million contract with $20.75 guaranteed.  I hear you die hards though.."Ray Rice is a way better back and means more to his offense than Foster"..is he really?  Look at this..

Career.                                                                  2011 regular season

Foster--25 yrs old entering 4th yr.                        1224 yds 10 TD's 53 rec 617 yds 2 TD's
3097 yds 29 td's

Rice--25 yrs old entering 5th year.                        1364 yds 12 TD's 76 rec 704 yes 0 TD's
4377 yds 24 td's

Fact is they are the same player. Ray's agent needs to understand that $21 mill guaranteed on a 5 yr deal is better than $7.5 mill guaranteed on a one year franchise tag where his client could blow out his knee and never play again....Trust me OZZIE knows this...

DO YOU THINK HE DESERVES MORE?

Spring training is here and the O's are on the field!!!

This is one of my favorite times of year as Spring has HOPE springing eternal for all MLB fans and their teams.  The Orioles new dynamic duo of Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter have put together quite the spring training squad.  As I have stated before they are clearly looking to improve on depth,especially in the pitching department.  The Orioles have 12 pitchers competing for the starting rotation with probably only 1 spot close to set with Tommy Hunter.  On top of that is the fact that 7 of those 12, and at least another 10-12, are competing for bullpen spots.  So here are 5 questions for the O's and my response to them. 
1.  What will this starting rotation look like?
Well I honestly believe the Orioles are headed in the right direction with what has been rumored to be planned.  The Orioles are going to send the young guns back to AAA and make them force Buck and Dan to bring them up because they are pounding on the proverbial door.  They have brought in enough MLB experience and depth to do that. So here is my guess at the starting rotation day 1.  Hunter, Chen, Arrieta, Evaland, Hammel.  This makes Matusz, Tillman, Britton and Bergesen prove they are ready. (Side note: Britton is going to start season on the DL if I had to guess right now) 
2. Will Brian Roberts be back and if not who bats lead off?
I think that unfortunately the most we get from B-Rob is what we got last year..20-30 games Max.  He apparently has made it through workouts so far with no problems, but we have heard this story before.  I feel for b-rob as this has to be just so hard on him and his psyche.  With that said though there needs to be a plan going forward.  I have said before that I think, at this stage in his career, Nick Markakis would be a good value at lead off.  He is fast enough to steal 15-20 bases, he hits 40-50 doubles, bats close to .300, strikes out very little, hits 15-18 hrs and gets on base.  Add 20 steals to that and I just described Brian Roberts.  I have also heard that you could see Reimold in that spot.  He gets on base like crazy, is the second fastest guy on the team, and can hit 20 hrs....take away a walk or 7 and add in some K's and I just described Brady Anderson, and last I checked he was a pretty good lead off hitter on a pretty good team once.
3. Who is the closer?
Barring injury its Jim Johnson.  There is no question to that I think.  If he gets hurt you can use Lindstrom.  Kevin Gregg won't close in Baltimore again ...
4. Whose on first?
I think Chris Davis starts there but he better watch out for Wilson Betemit if he hits, or Nick Johnson if he is health....sorry I couldn't even get that one out.  Understand though if you can get 100 games from Nick Johnson your lineup is WAAAAY better off.  Chris Davis is on his last stand I think.  If he can cut out the strikeouts and have better AB'S we may have the middle of the order guy we have been clammering for. (30-35 HR'S not out of the question for him)
5. Will they get back to. 500?
Plain and simple...NO.  It is not possible for them to do it with how good the rest of the division has gotten over the offseason.  Now don't misconstrue what I am saying here.  This team WILL be way more competitive this year and will play very good baseball (see Showalters year 1 vs year 2 stats).  They will be a team NO ONE wants to face, and will be another pain for some playoff teams in September and October, but as long as the unbalanced schedule exists(this is the last year thank god) they just don't have a shot at getting back to. .500.  I would also say that no team in the AL East will get to 100 wins this year because they will be too busy beating the crap out of each other.  NO OTHER DIVISION IS CLOSE TO THE AL EAST!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS?  LETS HEAR YPUR THOUGHTS.

GOLDY

CATCHING UP ON A FEW STORIES...

As many of the patrons here at Goldy's know, ye ole tender is a huge Ravens fan and had to take a couple days to get over that loss Sunday.  In doing so I have fallen behind on a couple of sports stories for the week.  SO here is a roundup of what has happened since Sunday.....

The Super Bowl is Set......


Super bowl 46 is set now as we have a tremendous rematch between the New York Football Giants and the New England Patriots.  Both teams were involved in Super Bowl 42 as the Underdog Giants came back to beat the UNDEFEATED Patriots 17-14, led by "the Catch" by David Tyree.  Both of these teams had to earn their spots this year though as both were pushed to the brink by their Conference Championship opponents.  The Patriots were able to escape with an AFC Championship when Baltimore's Lee Evans was unable to use his 9 yr veteran know how and hold on to the game winning TD pass from Flacco, and then Billy Cundiff's missed 32 yd FG.  Plain and simple the Patriots were out played this game, but as they always seem to do, they made one more play then their opponent and earned a victory.  The Giants were taken to overtime by the "feel good" San Francisco 49ers and came out victorious after the Niners Punt returner Williams fumbled for the second time in the game.  The 49ers were over matched by the UNBELIEVABLE play of the Giants Defensive line.  However, Jim Harbaugh's team showed that their defense is absolutely legit with their game play.  In the end this weekend proved that Special Teams is DAMN important!!!

The Tigers add a PRINCE!


I honestly tried to find the sign Prince used as his name through the 90's but couldn't get it added. Scott Boras has done it again!  Somehow got a ridiculous deal from a mystery team in a big player's free agent year.  The Nationals, Rangers and Orioles (honestly this is laughable) were the team names we heard coming down to the wire with everyone convinced DC was going to have a permanent royal resident.  Out of nowhere (and one week after GM Dave Dombrowski said no chance) the Tigers come in and offer a STUPID 9 yr $214 Million contract to the largest Vegetarian anyone has ever seen.  Now I do believe the addition makes sense for the Tigers based only on V-Mart's injury, and I honestly do not think the $23.1 mill per year is ridiculous (its what the market bares people), but the 9 years is ABSURD!!!  I said the same about Pujols' 10yr deal, and I know Prince is only 27, but 9 yrs is just stupid....I mean hello has anyone read the Mayan calendar....Seriously though it seems crazy to me that 9 yrs is agreeable to anyone.  Now the other issue is that they are going to move "The Chunky Drunk Monkey" Miguel Cabrera back to 3rd base where, even when he was in shape, wasn't very good.   My guess is the Tigers have decided that defense isnt that important on the infield, yep Prince is average at best too, and that they will just hit a HR for every error they commit....Then again when your rotation includes Verlander, Fister and Scherzer not many balls are going to get hit anyway.....

The Death of a Legend...


Coaching Great Joe Paterno died Monday at the age of 85 after complications from Lung Cancer.  Joe Pa was the symbol for what was right about college football for so long, and I hope that is what he will be remembered for most.  Joe Pa embodied that University like so few coaches do when they are done.( Bear Bryant, Tom Osborne, Bobby Bowden to name a few) Joe was asked why he was still coaching at his age and his response was simple, and telling, "My idol has always been Bear Bryant.  He died so quickly after he retired, that I am afraid of the same fate."  Well he wasn't afforded the chance to retire...he was fired 3 months ago amid a scandal that will ravage the University and shook everyone to their core.  Coach Paterno has more wins than any coach in Division 1 Football history (409), and coached for an unprecedented 46 seasons.  He transformed the town of State College and built an UNBELIEVABLE program at Penn State.  I honestly hope that is how he is always remembered because he deserves that.....RIP Joe Pa