There’s no way I could talk strictly sports tonight. Not after watching that Maryland-Michigan State game. An absolute heartbreaker. It would have been easier to take had Vasquez not led that late-game rally to put them within a buzzer-beater of the win. I’d rather lose by 20 than go down that way.

Such is March. The thrillers cut both ways.

– I’m with Dan on this one: Spring Training is getting old. I’ll say, though, that I liked what Kevin Millwood had to say after his outing today. I dig the approach, I dig the attitude.

– Why didn’t anybody tell me about Townes Van Zandt? I mean, I knew about him already but today was the first time I dug in and listened. Our Mother the Mountain is a hell of a record.

Which reminds me that I heartily endorse Lala.com for finding and listening to new music. They’ve got pretty much everything and you can listen to entire albums one time through for free as a preview. After that you can buy albums and/or individual songs for either web-only listening (which is a great value) or for both web and MP3 download.

If you click that link and sign up I get some credits for web purchases. That’s a win both ways, but I’d recommend the site regardless of anything I might get out of you checking it out.

– A Continuos Lean posted some cool pictures of old-time LA (including the one attached to this post). This weather we’ve been enjoying has a very Southern California feel, and I think that if LA still looked like it does in those pictures I’d live there right now.

– Has anyone been to the National Museum of Crime and Punishment? Is it worth a visit? Sure looks like it.

This library of artifacts is amazing — dig the story of one murderous ice mallet.

– Great view of my favorite Orioles shoulder patch.

– Nice writeup on Mitchell & Ness, manufacturers of vintage sports uniforms. Courtesy of a recently discovered favorite, The Reference Council.

– I’m not sure what to make of the explosion of Tumblr/Posterous sites where people gather and post images. I have one of my own, though, and have started following a few. Endless me, in particular, has become a favorite. Motorcycles, race cars, pretty girls. Warning, though: some of the pics are mildly NSFW.

Rest. Be well.

It’s not every day that a team signs an All-Star former MVP with a still above-average bat and he gets asked at his introductory press conference about the hot upcoming prospect who will replace him. And yet, even as I watched Andy MacPhail cut in and save a squirming Miguel Tejada, I wanted the question answered. Because as much as I want this year to be about Tejada, the fact is that it’s really about Josh Bell in the same way 2009 was about Matt Wieters.

Like Wieters, Bell has been talked about a lot in the blogO’sphere. Odds are that if you’re reading this article right now, you already know all about him: the heavy platoon split, the defensive questions, the power, and the awesome tattoos. That’s what happens when you’re the top prospect at a position of need and you were traded for one of the more beloved members of the 2009 Orioles – you become weighted down with expectation and hype in addition to the normal high levels of stress of breaking into the major leagues and trying to be productive. I can’t even begin to imagine the stress Matt Wieters had after being branded, fairly or not, as a franchise’s savior before even one at bat.

But this is baseball in this new era. Youth and prospects are the Vorpal Blade of Rebuilding +3, and every single top prospect is subject to a level of scrutiny and unrealistic fan expectation and hope previously unheard of. In Josh Bell’s case, that means everybody will be watching to see how he adjusts to hit left-handed pitching.

In case you haven’t heard, Bell’s platoon splits are really remarkable. In his breakout 2009 year at AA, Bell hit .339/.417/.626 against righties and .193/.282/.259 against lefties. Yes, he was Alex Rodriguez against right-handed pitching and Luis Hernandez against left-handed pitching. How does something like that happen? The reasons I’ve read are all-encompassing: attitude, work ethic, mechanics, luck, sample sizes, lack of experience, all of the above. Who knows the truth? The only obvious thing is that Bell needs to do something to improve against lefties one way or another if he wants to get to Baltimore.

Fortunately, the huge platoon question is looking like Bell’s only question. He reportedly successfully put more emphasis on his defense and training last year, he has terrific power considering his age, he has shown more plate discipline than Nick Markakis, and boy can he hit from the left side of the plate. Outside of his right-handed hitting struggles, all Bell really needs to do is go out and do it on the field in Norfolk and force the issue in Baltimore.

How nice is it that an advance look at the Orioles‘ Opening Day rotation doesn’t induce mania?

I didn’t do a position-by-position series last year. If I had I would have struggled to write a post on the starters. Reason being, in case you’ve forgotten, the O’s opened last year with the following five names in the rotation: Jeremy Guthrie, Koji Uehara, Alfredo Simon, Adam Eaton, and Mark Hendrickson.

Four guys who aren’t qualified to start and a #1 who’s really a #3 (who, by the way, had wasted most of his spring participating in the World Baseball Classic).

This year seems like Xanadu in comparison. We have a proven veteran at the top in Kevin Millwood, a primed-for-rebound Guthrie behind him, and two legit young arms after that (Matusz and Bergesen). A case could be made against any one of them individually, but as a group there is absolutely no question that they represent a substantial improvement.

Only one question remains: who’s fifth?

The widely-held assumption entering spring was that it would be Chris Tillman, who debuted last year and earned valuable experience in 12 starts en route to iffy numbers (5.40 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 39 K, 24 BB, .297 avg). Nobody doubts his status as a top prospect but he remains a work in progress. Not surprising for a guy who turns 22 on April 15.

That’s enough to open the door for competition. It’s taking the form of David Hernandez and Jason Berken, two players who also logged extensive rookie innings last year.

Neither outperformed Tillman so this comes down to a judgment call for Trembley and Kranitz. They’ll have to decide who can best help this team win based on what they see this spring. That process likely won’t satisfy a lot of fans no matter how it goes because there’s really nothing objective about it. The right guy in their eyes might not have the numbers. The guy with the numbers might not be right.

I’m leaning towards Hernandez. His main problem last year was leaving too many balls up in the zone, but that’s not so strange for a rookie pitcher. He’s got an edge on Tillman in both age and experience and his gaudy strikeout numbers indicate that the talent is there. He has to learn how to pitch rather than throw, and his 14K/1BB ratio so far this spring suggests he’s progressing. I think, so far, that he’s earned another chance.

Long term, though, it’s academic. There’s no doubt Tillman’s the guy. No real question of “if”, just “when”.

Is Andy MacPhail a mad genius or just lucky?

Probably both. When he left Steve Johnson unprotected in the Rule 5 draft this winter, opening the door for the Giants to rush in, it was widely viewed as a misstep. That all got erased today with news that the right-handed prospect is returning to the organization. Like the whole thing never happened.

The news is less heartening with Brian Roberts. Everyone continues to say the right things about his back issues, but even the team is admitting the possibility that he won’t be ready. They still expect him to be ready, but if you read between the lines they’re basically saying “nobody has any idea, and we’re getting worried.”

So am I, a little more every day. It’s nice to see Justin Turner step up and there’s always Ty Wigginton, but let’s be realistic. We don’t want to see anyone but Roberts in that spot.

Maybe it’s just garden variety “get the season started” anxiety, but I’m prepping myself for Opening Day sans Roberts. Seems like the prudent thing to do.

Jake Arrieta seems to have fallen in favor behind Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz (he didn’t even get to sit near them or step-father-figure Kevin Millwood in Spring Training!), and that’s surprising to me. Arrieta had a dominant half season in Bowie before struggling in Norfolk last year, though Dave Stockstill claimed that Jake had simply been working on his secondary pitches and his mechanics, giving all the weight of Spring Training games to his AAA performance. Which is good – Arrieta still needs work primarily on his command and control, which lag far behind the other members of “Tillreittusz”, and the minor leagues are made for exactly that kind of polishing.

When I had the chance to see Arrieta pitch at the end of the season last year, he was a terrifying force on the mound: a fastball that touched 96, the ability to consistently miss bats (his contact rate on that one night in AAA was a well above average 76.3%), limited walks, and some devastatingly-timed breaking balls. Overall though, his numbers in AAA are disappointing. He did lower his walks to a career-best 3.3/9, but perhaps at the cost of overall quality: fewer Ks, more home runs, more baserunners, more runs in general.

We’ve all seen the bad brew that bad command and high power make in starting pitchers, and Arrieta is certainly closer to Daniel Cabrera than Josh Beckett, though neither comparison is fair. If Arrieta can consistently pitch like he did when I saw him – if he’s finished working on his polish – then there’s no doubt that he’ll belong in the majors very soon in a way that the DC Cab never really did. But if he can’t, then perhaps it is fair to stick him in the corner away from the Orioles’ rotation.

(photo via)

Two bits of troubling news came across the wire today. First, the revelation that Brian Roberts is headed back to Baltimore for another look at his wonky back. Then, Britt Ghiroli’s report that Nolan Reimold’s running doesn’t look good (coupled, naturally, with word from the team that it’s no big deal).

I wouldn’t say I’m worried. Getting there with Roberts maybe, but the sky’s not falling. I’m likewise not too concerned about the woeful spring training record or the fact that some guys (Millwood in particular) haven’t rounded into form yet.

I’ll cop to this much, though: the prospect of opening the season without Reimold and/or Roberts available is scary.

Among position players there’s probably no single man less expendable than Roberts. He’s the anchor in more than one way. Reimold is a critical part of the “take the next step” plan, and even those of you on Team Pie must grant that we need his bat.

The O’s open the season with nine straight games against division opponents (Tampa Bay and Toronto) and follow it up with a long road trip to Oakland, Seattle, and Boston. When they finally get back home, the Yankees await. Then Boston again. Then another road trip…to New York.

It’s a brutal first month. The margin for error is roughly zero, and I shudder to think of how it’ll play out if two of the players we’re counting on miss all or most of it. That, my friends, could be ugly.

No need to freak out just yet, but for the first time I’m starting to wonder.

Our steely resolve in the face of great February turmoil is about to be rewarded.

Nothing beats March Madness. Nothing. The World Series and Stanley Cup finals sometimes come close, and occasionally the Super Bowl is interesting, but nothing tops the Tournament for year in, year out excitement. It’s that much better when the Terps have a chance to do real damage.

Their journey this year starts with a four seed and a trip to Spokane, Washington to face the Houston Cougars. I don’t see much upset potential there. Houston wasn’t going to be a Tournament team before they made a surprising run to the Conference USA title (more on that here). They haven’t danced in 18 years, and their overall record of 19-15 (RPI 144) hardly strikes fear.

The only way Maryland loses is if they come out flat. They’ve been known to do that in the past but it’s a hard thing to imagine here.

Michigan State might be waiting in the second round. Those two met early in 2008, a game in which Maryland turned in a convincing 80-62 win.

In other local news, Morgan State drew a brutal first round opponent in West Virginia. A lot of people had the Mountaineers pegged for a #1 seed, and they seem poised for a deep run. Congrats to Todd Bozeman and the Bears for getting in but, damn, they’re going to get destroyed.

(photo via)

It’s fitting that Nick Markakis patrols right field a few steps away from Adam Jones. I see them as two sides of the same valuable coin. Complementary. Different in many significant ways but aligned to the same purpose. Two talented young players that, in their own ways, represent the mixed bag of personalities and approaches necessary in assembling a winning team.

I highly doubt you’ll ever find Nick Markakis on Twitter. I doubt anyone would think of him as a “vocal” leader. I’m always happy to hear what he has to say, but he’s not a great interview. In other words, he’s all baseball. And to the extent that he’s not he’d rather keep it quiet.

No problem. In fact, I love it. We need guys like that every bit as much as we need Jones. Markakis is a great teammate by all accounts and the fact that he makes his yearlong home in Maryland speaks volumes. He’s a credit to the team, and I couldn’t be happier to know that he’ll be here for years to come.

On the field I’m expecting an uptick. There’s been talk around the Orionet about how he had a lot on his mind last year (new contract, new family, new charitable foundation, new home) and how it might have caused him to press and/or scuffle a little bit. That sounds right. It’s a little weird to think of .293 with 18 HR and 101 RBI (along with a .453 SLG and .347 OBP) as a “down” year, but that’s the kind of player he is. He’s better than “better than average”.

Beyond just the expectations, I have one wish: I’d like to see him make the All-Star team. That he’ll deserve it I have no doubt, but deserving it and getting there are entirely separate things. Here’s hoping.

An aside: I’ve been holding on to this giddy YouTube video of his first home run for a few years now, waiting for the right time to post it. Listen closely, because it includes a discussion of underwear.

I was actually at that game but not, alas, with the chicks who filmed the clip.

(photo via Keith Allison)