It's believed to be the first time it's ever happened, but on Sunday, an NFL regular season game beat a World Series game in the television ratings.
The Steelers and Saints drew an 11.8 rating on NBC, while the Rangers vs. the Giants posted a 10.4 on Fox.
No, it's not because the Simpsons or Cops are a lousy lead-in.
You want to know why I think it happened? Three main reasons.
Gambling, fantasy football and new October teams.
I know the NFL is a ratings powerhouse and is now...
Baseball America has released its list of the Orioles current top ten prospects, with Manny Machado number one after playing only a handful of games. That's no surprise really, given the hype about his talents.
O's minor league player of the year Joe Mahoney did not make the top ten - Maybe no surprise after the comments we got recently from Jim Callis when he said he felt Mahoney was not a top prospect.
Here is the list. Feel free to add your comments.
Please note that some of the...
Koji Uehara went 1-2, 2.86 this season with 13 saves in 15 chances and didn't walk a batter over his last 32 appearances.
But to this point, it appears the Orioles haven't made much of an attempt to resign him and Uehara can soon become a Major League free agent.
Makes you wonder if the O's are skeptical of Koji's late-season success and ability to handle the closer's role. Maybe they are scared off by all the time he spent on the DL in his two seasons with the club or the fact that...
The latest Oriole who needs your help in the voting is this year's Heart & Hustle Award nominee, Ty Wigginton.
After approaching the 2010 season without a distinct concept of what his role might be, Wigginton proved to be a big part of this year's Orioles team.
Wigginton wound up playing 154 of the Birds' 162 games and finished the season with a .248 average at the plate; his 76 RBI led the team, while his 22 homers put him second only to Luke Scott and his 29 doubles tied him with...
With the news yesterday that Jim Presley is going to be named the new Orioles' hitting coach, I wonder what that means for Terry Crowley.
The Crow will become an "offensive evaluator" for the organization, according to reports. Until we hear from Buck Showalter or Andy MacPhail when the new coaching staff is officially announced, I am not sure what his role will be exactly.
Is this the club's way of phasing Crowley out or realizing that they need a new voice as hitting coach?
Crowley...
The date was July 29, 2006.
No, that was not the first day I dreamed of one day becoming a blogger. It was the date of Jim Johnson's one and still only Major League appearance as a starting pitcher.
He lasted just three innings and gave up nine hits and eight runs in his big league debut.
So in parts of five Major League seasons, just one of Johnson's 146 appearances came as a starter after he made 121 minor league starts.
Late last season there was some speculation that Johnson wanted a...
The Orioles are scheduled to hold organizational meetings next week in Arizona. They will hold meetings that begin on Wednesday and run through next Saturday.
The assembled will also have some time to check out some Arizona Fall League games.
"We'll review our season and our needs," O's president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said. "Talk about how we can fill them internally and externally. Go through some housekeeping matters that pertain to the organization. Nothing too out...
The deadline has been moved up this year, and five days after the World Series teams can begin to sign free agents.
Up until that time, teams can negotiate with and re-sign their own free agents. The Orioles have seven such players, but barring something unforeseen, they are not expected to sign any of them before that date.
"I wouldn't rule it out, but I don't think we have anything in the offing," O's president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said. "One of things the...
The Orioles released their 2011 spring training schedule today for what will be their second year now in Sarasota, Fla., but their first in the newly renovated Ed Smith Stadium.
You can take a behind the scenes tour, led by Vice President of Planning and Development Janet Marie Smith, to get a look at some of the changes you can expect to see at the new facility by clicking here.
The O's 2011 spring schedule affords you 16 opportunities to catch an early look at the Birds in Sarasota, with...
I can still remember it now.
I wrote a column last winter that got some readers very stirred up. It brought me what felt like an avalanche of criticism. Some questioned my sanity, not to mention my intelligence about baseball.
The comment I made was pretty simple. I wrote that, at his best, Jeremy Guthrie is in John Lackey's class as a pitcher.
I'd like to remind you that I wrote that about a pitcher coming off a season where he led the league in losses and had an ERA of 5.04.
But I...
It's not a long list, and it's subject to change, but here is the current list of Orioles' players already playing or soon to be playing in winter ball leagues around the world.
Puerto Rico:
Pitcher Brandon Cooney with Carolina
Venezuela:
Pitcher Chad Thall with Zulia
Mexico:
Pitcher Eddie Gamboa with Mexicali
Dominican Republic:
IF-OF-C Jake Fox with Licey
Australia:
Pitcher Cole McCurry
Pitcher Brett Jacobsen
IF-OF Robbie Widlansky
OF Ronnie Welty
This group of four will soon arrive...
When I interviewed Joe Mahoney Sunday about his wrist injury that forced him to head home from Venezuela, the topic came up.
I asked Mahoney, the O's minor league player of the year, his take on being left off Baseball America's top 20 prospects lists for the Carolina League and the Eastern League.
"One of my buddies called and brought it up. We have a running joke that I never get on any of those things.
"I'll treat it like other things I see that can be a disappointment, I'll use it...
John Lackey, John Lackey, John Lackey.
Are you tired of hearing about him yet? Get used to it. He's considered the top free agent pitcher out there and the time for players to file for their "freedom" hasn't even come yet.
Some are speculating that Lackey will garner a contract for five years and worth between 80 and 100 million.
The ship is about to come in for the right hander.
O's fans will anxiously await word on whether their club is in the hunt for Lackey. While I would love...
O's minor league player of the year Joe Mahoney was really looking forward to the challenge of playing winter ball in Venezuela.
He arrived there last weekend, just a few days after getting married and joined the Margarita Island team. But before the first game he played in was even over, he was injured.
On the second pitch of his fourth at bat, Mahoney came up with a sprained right wrist. He was replaced immediately.
"It happened on a swing. I swung through a pitch and felt, not really...
After another win on Saturday, the Arizona Fall League's Scottsdale Scorpions improved to 8-3 and they have the best record in the league. There are eight O's minor leaguers playing on that Scorpions team.
Here are the up-to-date stats on all eight.
The hitters:
Ryan Adams: .333-1-8.......7 games.....9-27 AB.
Xavier Avery: .259-0-1.......7 games.....7-27 AB.
Caleb Joseph: .417-0-0......4 games....5-12 AB.
Greg Miclat: .333-0-1........7 games......9-27 AB.
Adams went 0 for 4 on...
Here is an interesting question.
Is there a model franchise in baseball - one that all others could learn from and should emulate?
In this article, a Texas Rangers' executive feels the Red Sox, Angels and Phillies are great franchises for others to emulate.
What makes a good franchise?
Is it one that produces a steady stream of talent through its farm system? Is it simply completely about wins, no matter what method you get them? Is about consistent winning or the ability to produce a...
Ballgame over. Season over. Yankees lose. Theeeeeeee Yankees lose!!!
Of course, I had to go there.
Jeffrey Maier II could not even save them.
When you flaunt winning like they do, like their fans do, like even their play-by-play announcer does, you have to expect some fans to revel in it when you lose.
To some, the Yankees represent excellence - To others, all that is wrong with baseball. Checkbook baseball.
Right after they lost Friday night, my first thought was this: If they...
On one hand, the regular season feels like it ended ages ago; and on the other, it feels like October baseball has flown by...which has it felt like for you?
But in the meantime, if you have kids, you're also probably gearing up for another reason to sport the orange and black - Halloween.
And this year, Major League Baseball is helping you combine two of your favorite October traditions by hosting the World Series of Costumes competition.
Click here to visit MLB.com/Halloween to upload...
In a recent post I mentioned the possibility of Brandon Snyder and Josh Bell starting next year back at Triple-A Norfolk.
A lot can happen between now and next spring to change that, and the two players themselves could come to spring camp and force their way onto the Orioles roster next Opening Day.
But if they don't and they start next April at Triple-A, those moves could have ramifications that impact some other good young players on the O's farm.
If first and third base at Norfolk...
After surgery to repair a torn labrum on August 13th, O's pitching prospect Brandon Erbe is in the very early stages of his comeback and rehab.
He hopes to begin some light throwing in December and report to spring training on time in February. It may take a while, though, before he is back to pitching at top form and he is quite aware of that.
Erbe is also in the early stages of re-tooling his windup and mechanics. He would like to emerge with smoother, cleaner mechanics after the...