The Loss Column — Baltimore Sports Blog and Community

I have no idea what this means, but here’s how it went:

For some reason I was hanging out at this weird hotel/restaurant/airport hybrid place — a kind of all-purpose building that existed to serve travel-related needs. There was a large conveyor belt running right through the middle of it that carried miscellaneous items from point A to point B. Mostly it was luggage, but often it was tools (drills, jigsaws, etc — mostly Black & Decker).

There was a man assigned to a post near this conveyor belt, and his job was to place a swath of tape on any exposed sharp points or edges that came by on the belt. Meaning, he’d tape up the end of the drill, the blade of the saw, and whatever else might be perceived as a hazard.

Well, for some reason he had abandonded his post and I decided that, in the interest of safety, I’d go ahead and start taping up the edges for him. It was more complicated than you’d think, but eventually I got the hang of it. I found myself thinking “you know what, I could get used to work like this.”

After awhile the belt slowed down and I started talking to my girlfriend. Then all of a sudden, Roger Federer’s tennis rackets came through. They weren’t in bags or labeled or anything, just sitting there on the belt. I knew they were his because they were the same model you can buy at Target — the one with his website address on it (Chris has one).

I got real stoked and went over and tentatively picked one up. I thought about stealing it, but really I just wanted to see what it was like (it was real light). Then I look up into the lobby of the building and Roger is standing there with Andy Roddick and some chick. My girlfriend says “you have to go get his autograph!”

Before I can decide on the wisdom of that approach, he sees me and comes outside (Roddick and the chick bailed out). I’m like “Wow, man, it’s great to meet you. I’m a big fan of…”

He says “Yeah, whatever. What’re you doing with my racket?”

I say “Oh, I wasn’t going to steal it, I just wanted to…”

He takes the racket and says “Those rackets were paid for.”

I woke up wondering if they were the same rackets he used in his comeback win over Feliciano Lopez last night, which I watched and which sets up a quarterfinal match against the aforementioned Andy Roddick.

And what did he mean by “those rackets were paid for?”

This was a busy weekend in both local and national sports news, a rare circumstance for early summer. The best way to handle it is to cram it all into one glorious post, so here goes.

– The Orioles lost to the Angels today, dropping the series 2-1. You have to love Melvin Mora’s heart though, going hard into Halos catcher Mike Napoli while attempting to score in the ninth on a tag-up. The collision left both men hurting, and that’s the way it should be. Plays like that are going to come up and you want men on your team willing to step into it. I’m not sure it makes the loss go down any easier, but it’s good to see.

Interim manager Dave Trembley still has a winning record at 6-5. I also like his comments at Roch’s blog, about starting Fahey over Bynum:

“The way it is right now with this team and the way it might be in the future is it might be built around pitching and defense, and if that’s the case, I think you put the best guys out there that can catch the ball.”

–Brian Roberts has been named as the lone Baltimore representative to the All-Star game. It makes sense to a point, but it’s hard to make a case against either Bedard or Guthrie.

I really, really want to write about how the fan vote for Barry Bonds is proof that the system is broken. Unfortunately, his stats say otherwise. He’s hitting .304 with 16 HR and 40 RBI, rendering any argument against his inclusion kind of silly. System’s still broken though.

– In an absolutely out-of-nowhere move, Mike Hargrove resigned today from his job as manager of the Seattle Mariners. The reason? His “passion has begun to fade”. The man would rather leave the game than give his team anything other than 100%, despite the fact that they’re one of the hottest teams in baseball. That, friends, is class.

I also wonder: with Sam Perlozzo’s history in Seattle (he was Lou Piniella’s third base coach there from 93-95), could that be his next stop?

– Steve Trachsel went on the DL, and Kurt Birkins replaced him. Since Birkins is serving in long relief, that means the O’s will need a starter. All signs point to young gun Garrett Olson. His stats at Norfolk have been impressive enough: 7-6, 3.46 ERA, 104 IP, 94 K, 31 BB.

– The Reds fired manager Jerry Narron.

– That fan protest in Pittsburgh came and went, and by all accounts it was kind of a bust.

They took the opposite approach to the one taken here last September, opting to stage their walkout during a sold out tilt. If they ended up with a thousand fans leaving their seats that’s pretty good, but it doesn’t look like much when it’s such a low percentage of the total attendance.

No wrapup yet from the Average White Guy, who stopped by here last week to leave a comment.

– I haven’t said much about Wimbledon yet because, frankly, week one hasn’t been that interesting. We’ve seen precious few big matches and/or upsets, unless you count American James Blake going down to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the third round, which I don’t.

That all said, the prospect of a Federer–Nadal rematch remains tantalizing. Should they meet again it’ll represent a reversal of what we saw at last month’s French Open. As good as Nadal is on clay, Federer is equally that good on grass. And as long as clay is the only surface on which Nadal continues to dominate he’ll never pose a legitimate challenge to Federer’s throne, assuming the latter remains healthy. But should the young Mallorcan manage to beat Federer at Wimbledon? We’d have a hell of a story leading up to August’s U.S. Open.

– Good luck on tour, Dan. We’ve been there ourselves (some of us).

The French Open provided what it promised: the two best tennis players in the world skidding around on mushed-up brick. Some of you may have an aversion to watching tennis for whatever reason. Even more of you may be unwilling/unable to rouse yourself awake at 9am on a Sunday. Don’t sleep on tennis. It’s a great game to watch, especially hung over. Maybe it’s because they force the crowd to be quiet. Maybe it’s because of soothing, rhythmic grunting. Maybe it’s because the dulcet tones of Bud Collins are like Advil and a bloody mary without the stomach irritation. Either way, it’s a great game and this was a great match and a perfect way to kick off a long day of lying in bed and watching sports.

This match was a study in contrasts. As clichéd as that sounds, it’s hella apt. You have Roger Federer, the demure, beheadbanded, Swiss Morrissey vs. Rafael Nadal, the wild eyed, scruffy, Mallorcan man-child in Laura Petrie pants. Nadal, despite being ranked #2 in the world behind Federer, was the favorite in the match, having yet to lose in the French Open, ever. It’s been widely documented that Nadal is undefeated at Roland Garros, and the French Open is the only major tournament Federer has never won.

It looks like these facts were all too apparent to Roger.

He played scared at times. He made uncharacteristic unforced errors. He seemed to be battling Nadal as well as his own French Open demons. During one telling Nadal 2nd serve – which, according to conventional wisdom, is going to have a little less horseradish than the 1st serve – he backpedaled instead of charging in. One can only assume this was out of fear, fear of an opponent he knows owns that surface and that tournament. Though Roger cannot be blamed for his trepidation. Nadal must be an imposing force to anyone across the net from him at the French. Looking like Mowgli from the Jungle Book with a Wet Seal wardrobe, opponents have to admire the strength of his couture convictions to adhere to such tragically European fashion choices.

That and he navigates the clay surface with such quickness that it’s almost unfair. Clay is supposed to bog speedy players down and shorten the points. Yet whenever Federer attempted drop shots, Rafael was able to catch up with them with surprising ease. Nadal has a mysterious immunity to the trappings and limitations of the clay court. He once had a gaudy 81-match win streak on the red dirt, and can now take his place among French Open clay masters like Swedish heart-thrÖb BjÖrn Borg and Australia’s Ken Rosewall, who isn’t all that attractive.

Federer may very well be “the best player ever to play the game,” but until he can solve Nadal and the French, there will remain an asterisk next to his name.

How cool is Rafael Nadal? The man has his Nikes customized to read “Vamos” (let’s go) on the left heel and “Rafa” (his nickname) on the right, and he wears capri pants and gets away with it. Amazing.

This and more will be on display tomorrow morning as he takes to the red clay at Roland Garros against arguably the greatest player ever: Roger Federer.

There are only two hitches in Federer’s game: clay is not his best surface, and Nadal has his number, going 7-4 overall and 5-1 on clay against the otherwise dominant Swede (of course we all know Federer is Swiss, and I would never make that mistake. Ever.)

If you watch but one tennis match all year, make it this one.

Nadal has never lost a match at the French and, at age 21, is gunning for his third straight title there. Federer, meanwhile, is looking to cap off a “career slam” (all four majors at some point). If he does it he’ll be in excellent position to become the first grand slam (all four majors in one calendar year) winner since Rod Laver in 1969, and only the third man to ever do it (Don Budge was the other).

It’s a match worth watching for the historical implications alone, but on top of that it figures to be great tennis. This is the current and maybe all-time greatest player up against the only man who’s ever figured him out. Everyone — casual fans and seasoned observers alike — will be stunned if one man dominates, and I’ll personally be shocked if it doesn’t go five sets. This is the big one.

Plus, what the hell else will you be doing at 9 am on a Sunday morning?

For more background, Greg Garber has a nice running diary at espn.com.

Ladies and gentlemen a round of applause for AP writer Steven Wine, who has just picked up the first ever Loss Column Award of Journalistic Excellence on account of the following opening paragraph in a wire story today about the French Open:

Rafael Nadal’s strokes are always accompanied by lots of grunting, so the French Open must be more difficult than his results make it look.

Oh my.

It’s all Orioles, all the time these days. That’s a good thing in general, but it’s also important to remember (both for me and for you good folks who read TLC) that the site is actually about sports as a whole and not just the beloved black-and-orange. So I figure now’s a good time to hit on a couple of things I’ve been neglecting lately. Can I assume the interest is there on both ends?

So…

I spent about a half hour today with Dundalk-bred pro skateboarder Bucky Lasek for an upcoming piece (cover story!) in PressBox. Bucky was in town to do a charity event at the Charm City Skatepark in connection with the AST Dew Tour, which will be held here June 21-24. I’m writing an article about Bucky and the tour stop itself, which will grace the cover that week.

I’m super stoked about this, and Bucky could not have been cooler. I’ll save the best nuggets for the article, but will mention this: if even a small percentage of athletes in other pro sports handled their business the same way as guys like Bucky Lasek then we wouldn’t have nearly as much to complain about.

I’d encourage everyone in town to check out the Dew Tour when it comes. If you haven’t seen these guys do their thing in person then you really don’t understand how insanely amazing it is. Imagine the best Corey Patterson leap to steal a homer and you’re at about ten percent of what happens on a vert ramp. It’s apples and oranges, sure, but if you can appreciate amazing athletic achievement then you need to hit this event.

In tennis, Roger Federer rebounded from a bit of a losing streak to finally defeat Rafael Nadal on clay.

Men’s tennis is on point. We’re in a golden age of sorts that’s reminiscent of Agassi-Sampras and McEnroe-Borg. If the French Open (which starts this weekend) culminates — as everyone hopes — in a Federer-Nadal final it will be absolutely mandatory viewing. Please, for your own good, trust me on this one.

Also worthy of note is the recent news that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will leave DEI — the company his father built — to race for a new team next year. Whether or not you follow racing this is a huge story.

What we’re seeing unfold is the development of a man at the height of his ability who’s trying with all his heart to live up to the legacy of his dead father. In order to do so, he has to also turn his back on everything that father built for him. Fuck sports, this is epic theater. These are the kinds of universal themes that most novelists only wish they could capture and explain effectively. We have the pleasure of watching it unfold for real.

All in all it’s a great time to be a fan. Because sports is, and always has been, about stories. Matchups. Rivalries. The epic draw of human competition and struggle. God damn if it isn’t fun to watch.

Also, the elimination of both the Suns and the Warriors means that I no longer care about the NBA playoffs.

It’s a shame that a massive storm came and wiped out east coast baseball on Jackie Robinson day. But if it had to happen, the good news is that it took down Barry Bonds. The Giants were rained out at Pittsburgh today, meaning that Bonds (hopefully) won’t get the chance to piss on Robinson’s legacy by slapping a 42 on his back.

To paraphrase Travis Bickle, someday a real rain’ll come and wash all the scum off the diamond.

In the meantime we’ll soldier on, and now’s a good time to take a trip around the sporting world and mention a handful of items that have been clamoring for attention.

In Baseball…

– B.J. Ryan found the DL in Toronto, one day after embarassing himself against the Tigers. You think we overpaid Walker, Baez, et al? Not compared to what the Jays gave Ryan. Might be the second worst contract out there right now.

– Remember Matt Riley? He’s attempting to come back from a third Tommy John surgery in the Rangers organization. I had no idea he’d fallen on times that hard. It’s a shame.

– Carl Pavano is the latest Yankee starter to face injury time, joining (so far) Mike Mussina and “ace” Chien-Ming Wang.

In Other News…

– The NHL playoffs got started this week, and hockey is back. I highly, highly recommend getting in on these playoffs and paying attention as they march to the Stanley Cup. Especially if you get a chance to watch some games in HD.

– I watched some Davis Cup tennis yesterday afternoon — Andy Roddick vs. Fernando Verdasco from last week in North Carolina. If you don’t know about Davis Cup tennis, it’s one of the best events in sports that nobody ever seems to talk about. It’s kind of a tennis World Cup, and it can inspire similar (though less intense) passions and rivalries. If you have even a passing interest in tennis and ever get a chance to watch a Davis Cup match, do it. There’s nothing else quite like it.

– Speaking of tennis, the excellent (and now permanently linked) site No Mas recently ran a fascinating article by Steve Tignor about the enigma that was Ivan Lendl: click here to read it.

Anything else going on? Leave it in the comments.

Observed:

– All signs point to the Orioles going with Jay Payton in left, Aubrey Huff at first, and a left/right DH tandem of Jay Gibbons and Kevin Millar. This is obviously the most sensible scenario, and seeing it come to frution is a very good sign. It says that Sam Perlozzo and club officials are committed to winning, and if that means bruising an ego or two along the way then so be it. On top of that, neither Gibbons nor Millar are grumbling, even though they can’t be happy. We might have a bona-fide team on our hands for the first time in years.

– A lot of folks have been suggesting that the play-in “first round” game of the NCAA tournament is unfair and a joke. Those folks are right. And as it happens, I know how to handle it.

Instead of one game, have four. But rather than taking those eight spots and doling them out to small conference tournament winners and mid-majors, give those spots to the large conference bubble teams. Make Syracuse play Florida State or NC State play Syracuse to get in, and reward the winners with 13 seeds. This would immediately solve two problems: the fact that nobody really respects the play-in “first round” game, and the yearly arguments about “bubble” teams.

Can anyone give me a good reason not to do this?

– The UMBC women made the NCAA tournament, the first Retrievers basketball team to ever do it. Mad respect to my alma mater.

– It got lost in the shuffle with the Madness, but Roger Federer lost to a guy named Guillermo Canas, ending his consecutive wins streak at 41, just five wins short of the record. Consider how crazy this is: Federer is so good that the simple fact that he lost a match makes headlines.

Soon to Be:

– Maryland will reach the Sweet Sixteen and fall to Florida. But, since there is a higher power, the Gators will not repeat.

– Federer will promptly begin a new streak, and win the Grand Slam this year, becoming the first player to do it since Rod Laver in 1969.