In Case You Were Wondering...

Here's what's going on with Darnell McDonald

For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. McDonald: All the way back in 1997 the Orioles were a force in the AL East and riding high and in the midst of a wire-to-wire fantasy season. Things couldn't be better when they selected this manchild in the first round straight out of high school. Unfortunately, he never lived up to his draft selection and was never on anyone's prospect radar. I guess you could say this was one of the first hints that the organization was beginning it's run of 11 straight seasons of baseball blissss...

I was at Camden Yards the night he was introduced to the fans. My rose colored view of him from the top row behind home plate made me a believer.

5% Stats / 95% Scouting

"Saberscouting/coaching" is becoming the new craze for seamheads these days. Not just for stat nerds anymore sabermetrics is beginning to reach across the aisle in the baseball community. Here is an excellent article from the Hardball Times about how analyzing the stats can be a useful tool not just in evaluating, but in coaching too. I happen to like the questions the author uses in his interview with the pitcher and I think it might be helpful for me to consider these types of questions as I'm charting a pitcher or scoring a game.

World Baseball Classic

I completely agree with Maury Brown's assesment on the WBC:

Much of the criticism comes from those who don’t understand the impetus behind the event. The WBC was never designed to determine which country has the best talent. The intent was to promote the game worldwide. In that respect, it has achieved as much if not more than its supporters could have hoped for. Game attendance, TV ratings and media coverage around the globe all increased over the first WBC in 2006.

While fans in this country have been lukewarm towards the event, fans in other participating countries have embraced the WBC in ways never dreamed of before the Classic became a reality. The Netherlands defeating the Dominican Republic – twice – to move into the second round of this year’s Classic gave hope to nascent baseball countries around the globe that they, too, can play the game on the world stage.

As a marketing tool, the WBC has been wildly successful. The exposure the game has received from the WBC will undoubtedly increase baseball’s revenues, benefitting owners and players alike. No surprise, therefore, that this is one of the few areas of agreement between MLB and the Players’ Association.

Here's the rest of the article.

Wake Up Scene

This marks the end of a lovely evening in New York. I wouldn't mind this view of the city from my apartment. The owners don't either.

This building is directly above the Lincoln Tunnel.

He'll Sauce You Up

Pete cashed in after the Chris Cubeta concert at the Mercury Lounge ... quite the catch!

The Roseman

Rob making an NYC subway ride interesting.

Let's Go To The Videotape

In early March I made my first appearance in Coplay, PA partaking in my new job at Baseball Info Solutions (BIS).

Everyone has their own turret or what the full timers call "nodes", appropriately equipped with Tivo, DVD recorder, MLB Extra Innings, TV monitor, and personal computer. As you can see here everyone is working very hard solving the world's problems.

This is basically where I'll live for the '09 season.

Inside the Node

Here's where I sit... That's Mike Scioscia on the monitor. Maybe I should get you a picture of my ridiculously comfy recliner.

More Than Meats the Eye

Jon "Boy" Frank looks on as he is presented with a fine cut of beef from the world famous Brazilian Steakhouse: Fogo De Chao. This was a fine dining experience with some of the guys that will be tough to top. Green means go, red means stop, and you get as much as your heart may desire. Decadence at its finest.

A Vitelozzi Tradition

Crepes on Fat Tuesday at the homestead. Other than a token orange and nut salad on holidays, Mother has decided to make this the one day she cooks out of the year. She goes all out so I attend.

Here, I perfected the crepe by adding sausage, powered sucre, and a fruity jammy syrup to go with some rasbrys.

Divine.