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Orioles sweep. Going to the ALCS.

Baseball is good.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, winners

I bet we won't have to worry about checking this site too often because the answer may be no.

That's the "half empty" me talking, but every spring hope does spring eternal.

http://www.didtheorioleswin.com/

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, lotd, winners

"[T]here are stocks, bonds, commodities and Apple Inc. Apple has become its own asset class and an incredibly impressive one at that. What happens with Apple is not a new economic indicator for the broad economy but more an undeniable endorsement of an amazing product and brand."

Peter Boockvar, The Big Picture, "Stocks, bonds, commodities and Apple Inc."

Labels: Apple, qotd, winners

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

President Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address (Nov 17, 1863)

Labels: great minds think alike, qotd, winners

Felix!
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, Camden Yards, winners

Funtimes at Camden Yards. Adam Jones crushing a walkoff homerun to finish the evening. A beautiful night.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, Camden Yards, picture, winners

Just rolled in from a night at Camden Yards. Orioles take the second straight game from the Mariners. I did not wear my Ichiro jersey. I am a true homer. Only if Marge was there would I have. And tonight was a perfect night for some fun companionship.

With work being the way it has been with the layoffs and the fill in spots, your humble narrator had to lose one position and back fill another, stupid position, and he could use a nice game like this one.

On the ride in, I chatted with a gentleman who was just going to Pickle's Pub and/or the game. I told him King Felix was pitching for the Mariners and that I had no hope for a win. Chris Tillman gonna pitch for the O's and hope was non-existant. At least, I can watch the great Ichiro. You know he's my second favorite.

I arrived early enough to catch the last half hour of the Mariner's batting practice. Again I make the mistake of sitting in the bleachers in center-right. The weak hitting M's only put 4 balls on the fly there and 3 or so on the bounce. I gave up on shagging balls and sat down and watched all the other dudes try and catch. An M's fan kept yelling for a ball, but it ain't happening if you don't have tits.

I get a drink and then some nachos to begin the game. I'm down in my season tickets seats with a father and his young M's fan. Guys are from Philadelphia. Go figure. Kid's wearing the Ichiro shirt that I should've been wearing.

I yell to the ball girl. (Christen or Kirsten?) "First, foul ball give it to the Ichiro fan!" She smiles and nods. It doesn't happen. I chatted with her in the bottom of the eighth. Maybe I'll see her again the next time around.

Chris Tillman throws 200 pitches in the first 4 innings, but we are tied. Then all-star AJ comes through and drives in 2 runs on 4-4 evening. Ichiro gets thrown out by Matty Weit Weit. The legend of Bobby Andy doesn't get going. Nick Markakis and Mark Reynolds were out of the lineup. Felix Pie taking his place and making some plays.

It was a good night with the win. I drank some beer and forgot about work for a few hours. It's the best thing and I wish some girl would come along.

I rode home on the light rail beaming chatted with an Orioles usher about his work -- he was going to another job. Tough. My work? Also tough.

But at least the Orioles win.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, such is life, winners

First season ticket game of the season.

We were in first. We won. We're still in first.

But this photo says it all. Beer, food, buds, and baseball. The green field. The cool night.

Baseball is back.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, picture, winners

3 and 0. That's the Orioles record as they go into Opening Day at Camden Yards. They are in first place. Of course, it's still only the first week, but it is still nice to say.

It's hard to believe. We swept the Division champs, Tampa Bay, using awesome pitching and timely hitting. The starting pitchers all pitched well and the worst of the bunch, Zach Britton, has an ERA of 1.50. The other starters all have 0.00 ERA. That Britton, he sucks!

The hitting wasn't what I was looking for though. They weren't as dynamic and powerful as I thought they would be. Hopefully, the bats will awake and be a force to reckon with.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, winners

"A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool? [... A billion dollars.]"

Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), The Social Network

Labels: movies, qotd, winners

Oscar Pool results matrix and scoring matrix in downloadable PDF docs.

Labels: games people play, open thread, oscar pool, winners

Sci tech awards. I always need to post this for future references!

Labels: geeked, movies, oscar pool, winners

Wondering about PEDs in our sports and used by the players. I can't really make heads or tails with it. I need to think more about it.

Labels: music break, wankers, winners

It was a very pretty thing to watch. Cliff Lee taking it to the dangerous Yankee hitters and completely neutering them. He struck out every one he faced at least once, and he struck out a few a couple of times. Cliff Lee made them look ridiculous.

Texas is now up 2-1 and seemingly in control. Yet, don't count out those damn Yankees. Texas has to rely on 3 starting pitchers who are not Cliff Lee to keep those Yankee bats at bay. At least, for one magical night, those bats were silent like the Yankee fans who filed out of Yankee stadium early.

Here's to baseball in October.

http://joeposnanski.si.com/2010/10/19/natural-lee/

Labels: baseball, lotd, winners

Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.

Mom wondering why we're so high up at Camden Yards?

UPDATE: I love sitting up here at the top of Camden Yards. You get the normal beautiful view of Baltimore and turn around to see the other side you don't normally see which too is great. There's a slight breeze up here too. And if you're crazy enough, you'll make the jumbotron.

Labels: "la familia", Baltimore Orioles, baseball, Camden Yards, NewsRadio quote, winners

Woohoo! The Orioles are no longer the cellar dwellers of the American League. For now, it's Seattle who holds that sad, sad title. Sorry, Mariners, but the Orioles need to flew their muscles and show their true selves. At least you can be comforted to know that the second pick in next years draft are a couple of different pitchers.

Can you really believe this? The Orioles are trying to finish the season on a strong note. They won last night for the first time all season against the Blue Jays. I am amazed.

Let's do this tonight! Go Orioles!

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, NewsRadio quote, winners

In this trying baseball season for our beloved Baltimore Orioles, the fans who stick around deserve better. Tuesday night, Jason Berken t-shirt night, the Orioles had a decent game. They never said die even though they relinquished an early three run lead to be down four then five runs. It took them to extra innings, but they win one. Like the proverbial stuck clock, they'll win one every now and then.

We had left the game early in the eleventh inning. But the fans that stayed, they were the real winners.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, Camden Yards, winners

I got the Nolan Riemold bobble head. I had to get the next one, Adam Jones. I find myself down at Camden Yards trading in an unused season ticket for a $1 seat in upper reserve, section 384. I was hoping for a win.

Kevin Millwood on the mound look lost from the get go. Several straight hits in the first and the Marlins were up 2-0. The second inning was more of the same leaving the Marlins ahead 3-0. I was ragging Millwood as he left the mound at the end of the inning. He looked defeated already, and it was still only the second inning. I thought it was going to be a long night of Marlins hits and runs and Orioles futility.

Then the bottom of the third started off with a Craig Tatum double. Then another hit, and another, and another. Finally, the Orioles were up 5-3 and the night felt better. But these are the Orioles and no lead was safe. Will Millwood cough up the lead in the next inning? He didn't. He came back and pitched respectable going 5 innings and only allowing 4 runs.

Jason Berken continuing with his great relief pitching pitches a nice couple of innings of shutdown ball. David Hernandez finishes up the eighth. Matt Albers comes on for the junk ninth, gives up a run but closes out the win. Why was Albers even pitching? Or even Hernandez? Silly Orioles wasting their guys.

The offense came alive tonight. Jones had a screaming line drive homer, and Miggy came through to seal it with a 3 run homer. Woot!

As the game started I was stewing in my misery in upper reserve 384, drinking a few drinks. Then these guys showed up. They were hilarious. They started cheering. I started cheering. We got on the jumbotron three times! They should've been the Fan of the Game, but they had disappeared before then. Dancing and cheering was their forté, and after every score, high fives all around. We cheered. We cheered! We won!

Baseball is so much more fun when you win.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, the wackness, winners

I wish I could post this one as a normal video but IniTech blocks "social networking" sites so that blogger is bloggered from work.

With all the hoo-ha in baseball over the blown call in Detroit, the retirement of Ken Griffey, Jr. aka The Kid, was overshadowed. Twenty-two years in the majors, no World Series rings, over six hundred homers, and a love and joy for the game of baseball expressed in his smiling face that you can never forget. Dude hit the warehouse in Camden Yards!

Today, I give you a video showcasing two good things: The Kid and beating the Yankees. It's from the 1995 ALDS when Seattle beat the Yankees after being down 2 games. This was the deciding fifth game. I think it's in the bottom of the tenth, extra innings. I remember this game, and it has always made me like Seattle.

Sayonara, Junior! You're sweet swing and smile will be missed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOWnLqjF40g

Labels: baseball, fare thee well, lotd, winners

May is slowly but inexorably slipping away. Pretty soon Memorial Day will be here and the start of summer. The heat and humidity will arrive soon to bring some misery to those summer days. Currently, the Baltimore nine are doing fine by misery. They've started the season with the second worst start any of their fans could imagine: a 2-16 apacolypse of bad hitting, terribly fielding, and abysmal relief pitching. There starters held there own, but lack of runs and lack of quality relief pitching doomed the Baltimore nine.

I've been to several games. The opening day was joy until the final innings. The next two were no better: home team giving up four runs while scoring a measly one. Then, in comes Seattle. They're offense is even worse than ours even with Ichiro. Baltimore also has games against other woeful teams as Cleveland and Kansas City. It is a battle of the losers.

After another tearful offensive perfomance against Cy Young winner, Cliff Lee, on Tuesday, the Orioles were able to battle for two straight wins. It lifts the city and the fans hearts out.

I attended both games. Wednesday in the rain, Baltimore's silent bats came alive for 5 runs on 11 hits. Thursday the bats were dead again as Seattle's ace, Felix Hernandez, took it to the home team allowing 1 run on 3 hits. That day started off gray, but the sun came out. In the last half of the eighth, with Brandon League relieving Hernandez, the sun shone brightly for Baltimore.

Brandon League has a hard time in Baltimore every time I attend a game. Last year, he closes out a four game finale for the Toronto Blue Jays by blowing another save and tossing the game away on a throwing error. Thursday, he gives up two home runs, one of which is a grand slam to starting to heat up Luke Scott. The grand slam is the game winner.

The final out happens at the plate on an Ichiro hit, a Corey Patterson throw, and a beautiful tag from Matt Weiters. It brought joy to the fans. Maybe baseball will heat up again in Baltimore.

I took the day off. The Yard was filled with kids. They made it loud, but screechy whenever they cheered. I was in dead center waiting for Ichiro or Luke Scott to bomb it there. They both hit a homer on either side of me. A Mets fan brought his buddies to root for the Orioles: high fives were exchanged during the triumphant blasts!

Anyway, I'm now 2-3 this year. I've still got nine season ticket games. And I can't wait for more winning.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, winners