Bleacher Report - Articles by Brian Markham

Baseball: Former Baltimore Oriole Jay Gibbons Gets a Second Chance

Brian Markham — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:53:07 -0400

Each one of us have personally gone through trying times in our lives, when we get knocked down and it’s not so easy to get up. Sometimes we don’t want to get up.

Former Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons has endured such a time in the months following the Mitchell Report. It is the nature of baseball fans and the public in general not to feel sorry for players like Jay Gibbons.

He is a millionaire with a beautiful wife who had a job that any of us would envy. Every day, we watched him live out our dreams on the field.

Then it was revealed that he used human growth hormone (HGH) to help him recover from nagging injuries. The press was relentless: Gibbons was no longer the guy we all wanted to be; he was now a cheater.

He did not deserve our envy or cheers, or even our pity. He did this to himself and deserved everything he got. No apology would ever repair what he did.

I think Gibbons did what any of us would do at first: hope he wouldn’t get caught. When he was caught, he apologized, accepted his suspension, and focused on getting ready for spring training with the Orioles.

Through bad timing (the Orioles are rebuilding), he was released and found no takers. His letter to the 29 remaining MLB clubs has been well documented. He simply wanted another chance to play the game he loved.

Today it has been reported that Gibbons has found a second chance with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. It's hardly a baseball mecca, but it is a second chance.

I am sure Gibbons is sleeping better at night. I wish him the best of luck and hope he appears back in the Majors sometime soon.

Why would I root for a cheater? Why wouldn’t I want to see him endure more sleepless nights, public embarrassment, and personal agony? Doesn’t he deserve all that he gets for what he did?

I say no. For those of you reading who don’t know Jay Gibbons as a person, let me tell you; this is the kind of guy you root for.

Now, I don’t know Gibbons personally but I know people who do. This is what I’ve heard: Jay Gibbons is a gym rat (just like me) who works out because he loves it. Physical conditioning is very important to him and he works incredibly hard to stay in top shape.

Gibbons visits kids in the hospital—signing autographs, bringing memorabilia to give to the kids, and sticking around just to talk to them. Gibbons was the Orioles union rep, speaking openly and intelligently about issues facing the game. You could always expect something intelligent to come out of a Jay Gibbons interview.

Gibbons was one of the few lights during a very dark period for the Orioles. He had fun playing the game. He gave 100 percent, which was why he was injured so much. He crashed into walls and dove headfirst for an extra base.

He always attended the Orioles fanfests and talked with the fans. He made the most of what he had as an athlete; like we all would if we were blessed with his God-given abilities.

Honestly, Jay Gibbons might have used HGH, but I don’t think he’s a bad person. If you’re a gym rat, like me, you’ve probably met someone who has used something illegal. These aren’t bad people, they just feel like they need something more to get where they need to be. Whatever.

I’d never use anything like that and don’t endorse it. It just makes him the guy who felt like he needed to do something risky and misguided to get where he needed to be.

For me, Jay Gibbons is easy to root for because he’s a regular guy who just happens to be a ball player. He made a mistake.

Let’s take the high road and root for a good guy who took a misstep and has gotten a second chance. Doing so gives us all a reason to believe that we can overcome our own darkest moments and the demons that keep us up at night.

Yakees-Orioles: One for the ages

Brian Markham — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:09:00 -0400

A couple years ago I attended a Yankees/O’s game much like Tuesday night’s game. Back and forth, crappy starting pitching, comebacks, blown leads, and rain delays.

The difference between Tuesday night’s 10-9 O’s win and the other game (5/26/04), is that the O’s managed to pull this one out. It felt really good, and you got the feeling that even though the Orioles will probably still have a top-ten draft pick next year, these players are playing as well as they can. They're leaving it all out on the field. As a fan, you can’t ask for much else.

According to Dave Trembley, the players spent the rain delay in the batting cage, taking swings and getting ready to go back out there and get the win. To all of those who stuck around the yard or stayed up late enough to watch the end of the game, it was worth it.

Jim Palmer and Gary Thorne have made it no secret that the Yankees have some bullpen issues. Do they really? Clearly, anytime you lose a guy in your bullpen of the caliber of Joba Chamberlain it is going to leave a hole. Especially when you replace him with LaTroy Hawkins.

To me, it looks like the two best guys are Ramirez and Albaladejo. The rest? Very stinky. Albaladejo has given up more hits than innings pitched, so even he has been shaky. The point is that you need to get solid starting pitching, which is why Chamberlain is being moved. You worry about the late innings once you’ve got a lead to protect.

If it’s 8-8 in the seventh, something has already gone horribly wrong. So in short, I agree with Palmer and Thorne; the Yankees bullpen is a mess. It is fixable, and I am sure they will turn it around. Hopefully not by tonight though, as the O’s go for the sweep.

In other news, Jay Bruce made his MLB debut last night for the Reds. Here’s the video. Amazing!

A New Feeling For the Baltimore Orioles: Pride

Brian Markham — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:26:13 -0400

Take a curmudgeony manager, a stubborn GM, inexperienced pitchers, and a mish-mash of old hitters and this is what you get—last place in the AL East.

The Toronto Blue Jays are far too good to stay in last place all season, but I’m not sure you’d trade your roster for this one straight up. Are there any exciting young players on this team?

Alex Rios hardly counts and Aaron Hill has been in the league for four years. Vernon Wells and BJ Ryan are way overpaid. Scott Rolen for Troy Glaus has been a disaster so far, and Matt Stairs and Gregg Zaun are on the wrong side of 35. Reed Johnson and Frank Thomas have both been given away in the past three months.

Wait—weren’t the Orioles supposed to have been the worst-run team in the Majors? Yikes.

——

Last night the O’s stuck it to 38,000+ Red Sox fans, and a couple hundred Oriole fans, by handing the now second-place Red Sox a 5-4 defeat. Coming up big was Luke Scott with a three-run HR off of Josh Beckett, and Jim Johnson pulling a rabbit out of the hat getting out of a bases-loaded no-out situation. George Sherrill added to the fun by locking down a five-out save that included a David Ortiz ejection.

I love this team. I love the fact that David Trembley looks like William Shatner. I love that they didn’t give Adam Jones a take two on his team picture. I love that we ripped off two teams, and are better without our second and third-best players from 2007. I love the Orioles' Magic song. Most importantly though, I love that we give a shit. Win or lose, it’s OK to be an Oriole fan again.

A Winning Roadtrip for Baltimore?

Brian Markham — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:33:29 -0400

Sure would be nice. If Daniel Cabrera can guide the O’s to victory today, they will wrap up the seven game trip 4-3 which is very respectable given their struggles against the central and the west in past years. Then it’s back home for three against the red-hot Rays before heading out west for a three-city, ten-game road trip.

It’s not going to be an easy stretch for the Birds but it sure has been fun watching them surpass early expectations. A share of first the last week of April? I’ll take it.

Enjoy the game today, DCab vs. Javier Vasquez. Should be good - unless you listen/watch the White Sox broadcasts where all of their announcers are SO whiney. As soon as the White Sox are down they just get so lazy on the game calling. It’s like listening to crowd noise and two bored dudes just going through the motions. Come on guys, you win some you lose some; take a chill pill.

Everything You Need to Know about Nats Park

Brian Markham — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:57:02 -0400

I interrupt my normal O's coverage to bring you an in-depth look at the Washington Nationals' new ballpark in southeast DC.

I imagine that a lot of gamers out there are going to want to flock to the new stadium to check it out. Since I've already been three times this season, I'm starting to get to know the routine pretty well.

Getting There

Take the Metro. For those of you coming from out of town, do not drive to the stadium. Trust me on this.

The Nationals don't have all the parking lots open or finished yet, and driving offers you no real advantage except avoiding the metro.

If you've come in from out of town, check out this map and look for a station with a car next to it. That means the station has parking.

You're going to want to start somewhere close to the green line, and to do this Greenbelt is probably your best option for parking. That's right off of the beltway and is so easy it's almost criminal.

Once on the metro, take the green line to Navy Yard. If you have a smart trip card, stay to the right. If not, stay to the left. It'll all make sense later!

Look, there are going to be lines but it's not that bad. Once you've made it past the metro turnstiles it's no sweat getting down to the train platform.

The Park Itself

Once you're outside the Navy Yard metro, look to your left—Nats Park seems to rise out of the ground.

It's massive from the outside, and as you get closer the scale of the park really begins to set in.

Once inside, you are surrounded by the obligatory DC gimmicks. I'm not from DC but I truly do believe we are the most ADD fan base in America. We've got PlayStation, Build-A-Bear, mascots running around, and all sorts of other eye candy.

Take a walk around the concourse. Enjoy the pillars adorned with hall of fame players. Check out the spoils of being rich in the PNC Diamond Seats (us peasants can only peer longingly through the windows though).

You'll get a pretty good sense of the variety of food as you tour the concourse. If you make it to Five Guys I highly recommend it. Another DC mainstay, Hard Times Cafe, has a stand as well. The Red Porch/Loft in left center field is a bar where you can sit and hang out before or during the game. It's pretty unique and has a very cool vibe.

Concessions are expensive, and they are still working the kinks out of their operations. Plan to wait if you want a hot dog in the fourth inning—the lines are long.

The Game

Nats Park has the best scoreboard I've ever seen. It's huge, clear, and is always displaying good information.

Away game scores appear on the right field wall. This sucks though if you're sitting in the right field stands because you can't see anything and iPhone EDGE coverage is less than great.

MPH is on the main scoreboard, while the count and a selected set of stats appear on the first/third base club level boards.

I have yet to experience anything but a great seat in the ballpark. The field is beautiful, the seats have great views, and there's a photo op every minute.

Even if you sit really far away, the t-shirt guns can reach you—if you're into that sort of thing.

For the money, I recommend the $36 LF/RF corner seats. Great view and angle. Plus, foul balls—bonus.

Conclusion

Nats Park doesn't try to be anything that it's not.

It's a modern park for a modern city that doesn't kid itself into thinking this team has been around forever. It's a concrete and steel temple of modern baseball.

Leave the retro to Camden Yards and the history to Wrigley Field.

DC will take it's ballpark with great views, modern amenities, and a variety of gimmicks—it's a unique ballpark and a must-visit if you're in the city.

Orioles-Mariners: Welcome to Bizarro World

Brian Markham — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:30:50 -0400

Here’s Daniel Cabrera’s line from last night vs. the Seattle Mariners:

Wait a second…no walks? Let me take another look…yup, no walks. I’ll say this, it’s far too early to get excited about Daniel Cabrera in the sense that he may have finally turned a corner. We’ve been there, done that. The new season gives us new hope though. Coupled with a new pitching coach and a new-ish manager however, we’ve got a few reasons to think that Cabrera might be in the environment now that is required for him to be as dominating as we all though he could be. We can only hope that this continues as Cabrera is just what we need to be competitive this year. That’s three straight quality starts…and counting.

Nick Markakis ended some personal frustration last night. Supposedly he had been pressing which led to a pre-game meeting with Dave Trembley. Trembley told him to take it easy and not to step outside of himself. Markakis then had a frustrating night at the plate and was almost ejected for arguing balls and strikes. When Ryan Rowand-Smith entered the game to face Markakis in the top of the 8th, Markakis had decided he was first pitch swinging. The result? The game-winning home run.

When men with hyphenated names get married, what happens to the name? Like if Ryan Rowand-Smith got married to Jane Doe, does she become Jane Rowand-Smith? What if she wants to keep her last name? Jane Doe-Rowand-Smith? Just wondering. Collect ‘em all!

David Steele had a great article in today’s Sun about Miguel Tejada and ESPN’s missed opportunity. Anyone who reads the blog knows that I have a beef with ESPN because they have become a tabloid of sorts for the world of sports. Check it out here. ESPN has become a must for sports fans. We can’t ignore it. It just irks me sometimes that they have no shame in their biases and their nature for making mountains out of stories where the facts come in molehills. This is not a story about Tejada lying, it’s a story about a culture of lying and the reasons why any of us would do the SAME thing if we were in that position. I suppose that is the trade off for being the “worldwide leader.”

Orioles-Yankees: Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad for Baltimore

Brian Markham — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:28:12 -0400

I work with a pretty intense Yankees fan. Life’s been good for him the last ten years or so. He told me in passing that this past weekend’s O’s/yanks series would be an incredible mismatch leading to many Yankee HRs and easy blowout wins.

And of course, this is why they play the games.

The O’s dominated the Yankees through the first two games before dropping Sunday’s rain-soaked contest by the scores of 8-2, 6-0, and 1-7. The O’s outscored the Yanks 15 - 9 over the course of the series and now sit in second place in the AL East. There’s plenty of things to be excited about but mostly the starting pitching of Daniel Cabrera, Brian Burres, and Steve Trachsel. Even though Trachsel got the loss, he pitched great ball, mirroring Andy Pettitte through four innings and keeping the Birds in the game. Cabrera pitched out of trouble and Burres combined with Jim Johnson to shut the lights on the Yankees on Saturday. Other than Bradford giving up the bomb to Damon and Sherrill looking off in some mop up work Sunday, the arms really did their job. That is huge for this club as they enter a three-game set against Seattle and Chicago.

In other MLB news, the Jays released Frank Thomas. I’m not sure who’s going to pick up the Big Hurt but I think it will happen soon. I can think of a few teams who might have use for a high-upside DH. The Rays, Mariners, and Twins come to mind. I’m not sure what the Jays are thinking, in general. They do not have a championship caliber club and haven’t. They lack dominant starting pitching and a deep lineup. They continue to release fairly useful players in favor of AAA guys who aren’t regarded as impact players. I’m not MLB professional but for the life of me I don’t get why you drop a future hall of famer who is in a slump in favor of Robinzon Diaz. You’d have to think that when Frank is picked up by a team that he’s going to be very, very determined to prove the Jays were all wrong on him. From what I’ve seen in my life, you don’t bet against guys like him. They usually make you pay.

Baltimore Orioles: Surprising? Yeah, a Little

Brian Markham — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:36:14 -0400

Fast-forward through spring training, three opening days, Rich Harden staying off and then going on the DL and then you’ve arrived to today. Did I miss anything? Oh yes; the Orioles surprisingly hot start.

As I write this today, the Birds sit at 8 - 6, second place in the AL East behind the Red Sox. A week ago they had the best record in the majors at 6 - 1. Since then, they’ve gone 2 - 5 (obviously) and are no longer the darlings of XM Radio “biggest surprises of the early season” conversation. Still, as an Oriole fan, you’ve got to be encouraged by the positive start. The Orioles were picked to be not just last in the AL East but also one of the worst teams in the majors. So what’s going on? Does this tell us anything about the way the rest of the season will play out?

Answer: probably not.

Here’s the good news though sports fans: this is a new Orioles team. This is not the team that every year strives to win 82 games with a mix of AAA players, veterans, and a few All-Stars. This is that same combination only with NO expectations. They are expected by everyone to suck, except themselves and their manager. This is the key difference. Dave Trembley has this team playing the right way. They will eventually be limited by their on the field talent but for now the recipe is simple. Play hard, play right, play to win. This creed has been missing from Oriole teams of the last decade and that is why there are reasons to hope that this is the beginning of something very positive.

Some key stats to throw out there (all rankings are AL-only and out of 14):

13th in ERA (yikes)

5th in BB Allowed (1st being the most BB allowed)

7th in Team Batting and Runs Scored

Lots of room for improvement. Here is a reason though to feel optimistic though.

2007 Record:

Vs. AL East: 34 - 38

Vs. AL Central: 16 - 19

Vs. AL West: 13 - 24

Vs. NL Teams: 6 - 12

Why have we had such a crappy record? The abysmal play against the AL West and NL teams during interleague play. A sub-.500 record is never good, but 34 - 38 against the AL East isn’t terrible considering they play the Red Sox and Yankees 40 times over the course of a season. A bump in the win column has to come from playing better OUTSIDE the division and outside the AL. If these things can happen, I think we might actually see an increase in wins over last season. That’s a big “if” and of course we have to continue to play almost .500 ball vs. the east and central. This is why that four game sweep of Seattle was so key - that NEVER would have happened last year. The trick is to keep it up.