Ravens Hope This Jimmy Smith Doesn't Haunt Them

10 years ago, I witnessed All-Pro wide receiver Jimmy Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars terrorize Ravens cornerbacks for over 200 yards receiving. Now, The Ravens have their own Jimmy Smith. His job? To make sure receivers don't get passed the line of scrimmage.

The Baltimore Ravens used the 27th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft on Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith. The 6'2" corner specializes in press coverage and blanketing receivers. What did the team need? A player who could do just that.

Smith comes with a lot of baggage, but if history is any indicator for the Ravens, he won't be much of a problem. Cornerback Chris McAlister had a lot of baggage coming out of Arizona in 1999, but he proved to be an all-pro type cornerback and was with the team until 2008 when injuries and disagreements with the coaching staff caught up with him. If the Ravens can keep Smith in line for the next nine years, all the while playing like a top-flight corner, I don't think anybody will be too unhappy. Afterall, who was Smith compared most to? Chris McAlister.

Smith will be an immediate contributor. His competition includes Domonique Foxworth (coming off of a torn ACL), Lardarius Webb, and Cary Williams. Those are smallish corners who have trouble jamming receivers at the line. Smith will be a player who can not only jam receivers like McAlister, but run with them as well.

Let's be honest. There are two things that stop the Ravens from the Super Bowl: Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Cameron.

Roethlisberger is able to hit receivers who run freely because they get off of the line easily and can run with him while he moves around in the pocket. Cameron, offensive coordinator, doesn't allow the Ravens offense to open up as much as he should. I believe those two things are about to change for the better. Quarterback Joe Flacco has been furious and adament that he should have been able to open up the passing game in 2010. He was right. They wasted a great effort in Pittsburgh in the AFC Divisional Round and came up short.

Can Smith be one of the final pieces of the puzzle? I believe he can be. But will he be able to stay on the field and be McAlister 2.0?

Time will tell.

A Momentum Building Win

Let me first start off by saying this: If Josh Beckett complains one more time about a batter "showing him up" by hitting a home run and flipping the bat I'm going to freak out. This coming from a guy whose team, the Boston Red Sox, have had two guys notoriously watch their home runs and take 30 seconds to round the bases for years in Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. If you get that upset about it, then don't give up a 426-foot BOMB that one hops the warehouse to Luke Scott. It's that simple.

Now to the game.

The Orioles did everything right in the first few innings off of Beckett. They worked the count and stayed within themselves before finally getting the break they needed when Derrek Lee's pop up fell in in front of Jacoby Ellsbury in right center field. Scott came up and homered right after to give them a lead. Adam Jones then followed with a homer to left field to make the score 3-0 in the 4th inning.

The momentum began shifting in the top of the same inning when Nick Markakis threw out Ortiz at the plate to keep it a 0-0 game. Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie threw six scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 2.53. It's important to realize that Guthrie got out of a few jams by making quality pitches and kept his team in the game when it could have easily been two or three to nothing Sox after the first inning.

The Orioles added a run in the fifth to make it 4-0 and kept it that way until the eighth inning when the bullpen began falling apart. Unable to use dominant reliever Jim Johnson for a second consecutive night, Jeremy Accardo gave up a hit to Ellsbury and a walk to Pedroia before ceding to LHP Clay Rapada to face Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez lined a hit to left-center to put the Red Sox on the board. RHP Koji Uehara was brought in to face Kevin Youkilis, and promptly gave up a game-tying three-run homer. Uehara bounced back to keep the score at 4-4.

Markakis opened the bottom of the eighth with a single to right and Lee singled to left afterwards. A passed ball from catcher Jason Varitek allowed the runners to move up to 2nd and 3rd. Another passed ball resulted in Markakis being thrown out at the plate, but Vladimir Guerrero picked him up with the go-ahead single to center.

Closer Kevin Gregg came in for a 1-2-3 ninth inning to give the Orioles a big win. If they had ended up losing this game entirely it could have sent them on another tailspin like the game against the Yankees a few weeks back where they were up 5-0 and lost.

The Orioles are setting themselves up to go on a nice run this next week with the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals coming up next. They should get SP Brian Matusz back soon, which is going to make a big difference, too. With Wieters starting to hit line drives and Jones getting his swing back, the offense should get better, as well. Once Markakis starts hitting (and he will) this team can certainly put a few games together.

Check back today or tomorrow for a look at Matt Wieters newfound swing.

End of the Line?

Chris Tillman got shelled. No, he got shellacked last night in the Bronx.

There's no other way around what the Orioles might have to start considering. Tillman, once considered the Orioles top pitching prospect, may not have the stuff to be a big league rotation member. He was knocked out of last nights game in the second inning after giving up six earned runs on nine hits.

When your fastball sits between 86-89 MPH, you better have some great off speed pitches or terrific "out" pitches if you want to survive. Unfortunately for Tillman, he has no success using anything other than the fastball that he can't command for strikes. He keeps the ball belt high and above, which is no way to make a living in the show.

The Orioles appeared to have lost patience with Tillman last season when his velocity started dipping and his command got worse. However, with Brian Matusz and Justin Duchscherer on the DL, there aren't too many other options for the club.

Tillman going back to triple-A ball may be a waste of time, too. He has thoroughly dominated that level and has shown he is too good to be in the minor leagues. It would be hard to put him in the bullpen because he doesn't throw hard enough to be a bullpen arm.

The question is simple: Can the Orioles continue to run Tillman out to the mound every fifth day knowing they are probably going to put themselves in an early hole and their bullpen will get taxed?

My take:

Yes, the Orioles will continue to run him out there until a better option exists. Tillman is only 23 and has been considered a bright prospect for the past four years. Teams rarely give up on their top pitchers until all avenues are exhausted with them. It is getting very difficult for fans and the organization to continue watching him though. They say organizations hit on about 40-50% of their pitching prospects; well, it appears they missed on Tillman.

Zach To The Future

In the spring of 2009, former Orioles manager Dave Trembley declared "...the cavalry is coming." To whom was he referring to?

To the stable of young arms general manager Andy MacPhail had been putting together since he took over in June of 2007. The arms included Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, Brad Bergesen, David Hernandez, and Brian Matusz. One arm not included in 2009?

Zachary Britton.

As we begin the 2011 season, two years since the declaration made by Trembley, many things have changed. For one, Trembley is no longer the teams skipper. That distinction belongs to current manager Buck Showalter. Tillman has had a tough go of his first two major elague seasons, Matusz has proven (though he is currently on the DL) to be a front-line starter, Arrieta is a steady starter, Bergesen is caught between being a 6th starter and a AAAA-type player, and Hernandez was shipped to Arizona in a deal for current third basemen Mark Reynolds.

As of 2011, Britton may be the teams best starter. Two seasons ago, Britton wasn't considered part of the cavalry. But during that 2009 season, he opened some eyes with a 2.70 ERA at High-A Frederick that showed a power sinker and a developing change-up. His rise had begun.

Britton, a third-round pick out of high school in 2006, struggled at the start of his professional career. He went 0-4 at Bluefield (Orioles rookie ball) and didn't make it to low-A Delmarva until 2008. Scouts have said that he had no secondary pitches to go along with his low-90's fastball. He then worked hard to develop his change-up and slider to go along with the fastball that began hitting the mid-90's with sink action. In 2010, Britton posted a 2.48 ERA in Bowie.

The Orioles weren't worried anymore whether Britton was or wasn't part of the cavalry. They had to begin to realize that he may be their best pitcher at any level.

Britton dominated the Grapefruit league during spring training of 2011. The only reason he wouldn't begin the 2011 season in Baltimore was because the team wanted to delay his arbitration status making him a free agent after 2017 instead of 2016. But when Matusz went on the DL the day before his first start of the season, the baseball gods shone on Britton.

Britton dominated the Tampa Bay Rays in his first start posting a three hit shutout in seven innings. What would he do for an encore?

Britton, making his first career home start against the defending American League champion Texas Rangers, threw a five-hit shutout. Only two Rangers made it past first base. With his power sinker, at one point reaching 96 MPH, was too much for the Rangers lineup. It had to be the culmination of Britton's career that started out in Bluefield, WV. A struggling lefty who made the most of his opportunities and worked hard to develop devastating plus pitches.

Suddenly, Britton is the best pitcher in the Orioles rotation, and it looks like he will be in Baltimore for the foreseeable future. He'll be a good one for years because of his power sinker and devastating changeup and slider. In two starts he is 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA.

Maybe Britton wasn't part of the cavalry; but he sure looks like the King in Baltimore now.

Orioles Vs. Yankees Preview

Live from New York, it's.....TUESDAY NIGHT BASEBALL!!!

Well, it isn't SNL. Rather, it's the Baltimore Orioles facing the New York Yankees in an early season clash for first place in the AL East. Buck Showalter facing his old team and bringing in his new new troops.

The first-place Orioles (6-3) will most certainly use this early season series to measure where they are against the Bronx Bombers. If they win two out of three, will you consider them to be legit?

What if they take one from the Yanks?

Does a sweep mean they are the class of the division?

In a word: no.

However, it would show how far the franchise has come under Andy MacPhail in four years, and how far they can go with Showalter driving the bus.

Chris Tillman (0-0, 3.38 ERA) takes the hill tonight against AJ Burnett (4-0, 4.09 ERA). Burnett had a horrific 2010, and it was statistically the worst season by a Yankees starter ever. Tillman is just a few days shy of his 23rd birthday and is still trying to figure things out at the major league level. He has had a rocky road so far in his career, but there are signs he is beginning to get more comfortable. He mixes his fastball with a change and a 12-6 curve ball. His main issues have to do with command of the strike zone and fastball location. If he can get that sorted out he can be a solid middle of the rotation pitcher.

The Yankees come in having lost two of three against the Red Sox in Boston over the weekend. Their pitching has been so-so this season, but they can certainly still rake. If the Orioles can hold down Robinson Cano, whom I consider to be one of the best hitters in the game, they have a legit shot to win two of three.

Derek Jeter, one of my all-time favorites, just isn't what he once was. People can talk about intangibles all they want; but it comes down to performance. Jeter is not the same as he once was. Nobody fears his every at-bat the way they did even two seasons ago.

This is a terrific measuring test for the Orioles this early in the season. If they can win the series and gain more momentum heading into Cleveland this weekend it can only help with their already soaring confidence levels. They were shutdown in the final two games against the Rangers at the plate, but they shouldn't have too much of a problem hitting at Yankee Stadium this week against the Yankee pitchers. They lucked out in not having to face Sabathia, too.

The quicker the O's can get back Brian Matusz and Justin Duchsherer the better, too.

Check back tomorrow for a game recap and a post on Zach Britton.

Orioles Magic (Almost)

Ever since Buck Showalter took over on August 3, 2010, the Baltimore Orioles are 40-26. Before that, they were 32-73. 41 painful games under .500. A beaten team, a beaten fanbase, and a totally beaten city. How has he restored so much confidence and energy into a team and city that was lacking?

Simple: He reminded them that they were good major league players.

Ok, it isn't that simple. But instilling confidence in somebody can go a long way. It helps to get your second basemen and leadoff batter (Brian Roberts) back in the fold, too. But Showalter reminded the team that they were good, young major league players who were more or less just playing for the paycheck instead of the name on the front of their uniform. The end result? Well, so far they are 40-26 in just over two months of baseball.

The pitchers were skiddish before Buck took over. They nibbled around the plate and refused to challenge hitters in the vaunted American League East division. Suddenly, pitchers like Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta weren't nibbling anymore. Instead they were using their best stuff against the hitters. In baseball, that's the only way to pitch. Showalter's confidence in the young arms went a long way.

Showalter has gone out of his way to boost the confidence of young catcher Matt Wieters. Wieters, who arrived to the majors with an immense amount of fanfare and expectations, was quickly starting to crumble under the weight of his own success in college and the minors. However, Showalter wanted everyone to see just how great the young catcher could be. Wieters has begun to take control of the pitching staff and is the clear leader on the field. His hitting is still lacking, but being a top-notch major league catcher is a terrific thing for a young team to have. He controls the entire game and controls the running game. 28 of the 30 teams would kill to have him.

In the coming days I'll continue blogging and talking about the Orioles, major leagues, and other Ravens news as we get close to the draft. I took a few months off from this blog as I was looking for work; but I'll continue writing in this space. Hope you all enjoy it.

The Defensive Descent of the Ravens

Much has been made about the Baltimore Ravens sudden falling off as a defense. Is the sun setting on the Ravens once proud defense? Is it now an offensive team? The answers to those questions are yes; and this has been brewing for some time now. The Ravens defense is not close to the unit it used to be. There are many reasons for this change, too. Rex Ryan, now the enigmatic head coach of the New York Jets, is no longer the defensive coordinator. The Ravens knew they needed a better offense in today’s pass oriented NFL to succeed and get to the next level. They finally drafted a quarterback who can win games for them with his arm. With all that said, there is another reason why the Ravens defense just isn’t as good as it used to be: the players in 2010 aren’t as good as they were from 2000-2008.

Building an Identity

When Art Modell moved the franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore in the fall of 1995, he came with a great offense and a terrible defense. The offense consisted of such players as quarterback Vinny Testaverde, wide receivers Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander. General manager Ozzie Newsome realized that the team could put up big numbers on offense but couldn’t stop anybody on defense. In those days, the quarterback play in the league wasn’t quite as good as it is today, and the rules weren’t as much directed towards the offense as they are today. Newsome knew that if he could build an elite defense he could maybe win a championship or two.


The Ravens had two first-round picks in the 1996 NFL Draft. They selected offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden with the no. 4 overall selection, and a linebacker from the University of Miami with the 26th pick who was thought to be too small to play inside. His name? Ray Lewis. Lewis was named defensive player of the week after his first professional game and would just keep getting better. Lewis instantly became the leader and helped set the tone for the defense. Building the defense wouldn’t stop there.

Stacking the Defense

For the next three drafts, the Ravens had top-10 picks in the first round of each. They proceeded to take three defensive players. In 1997 the Ravens took Peter Boulware (Florida State), arguably the best defensive player and best pass rusher in the draft, with the 4th overall pick. In 1998, the Ravens took another Hurricane in cornerback Duane Starks with the 10th overall pick. In 1999, the team took another cornerback 10th overall in Arizona star Chris McAlister. They added a few free agents in defensive end Michael McCrary and defensive tackle Tony Siragusa. Suddenly, by 1999, the Ravens had the makings of an elite defense. In 1999, they also signed former All-Pro Rod Woodson to be the free safety and to provide leadership in the secondary. All of the pieces fit together, and in the year 2000 the Ravens won a Super Bowl largely because of their defense.

The offense continued to struggle in the early to mid 2000’s. Their first round quarterback pick of Kyle Boller in 2003 failed miserably, and only one of their two first round offensive picks in 2000, Jamal Lewis, had longevity with the team. In 2001, the Ravens took Arizona State tight end Todd Heap in the first round. However, the long-term goal was always to have an elite defense.


Rebuilding the Defense


In 2002, the Ravens were ready to undergo a rebuilding project because they couldn’t keep some of their best players due to the NFL salary cap restrictions. They took another Miami Hurricane, safety Ed Reed, with the 24th overall selection. Reed, like Lewis, is likely headed for the hall of fame when his career is all said and done, as he is arguably the best safety of his generation. The Ravens used other high-round selections (1-4 rounds) on defensive players around this time, too. Cornerback Gary Baxter and linebacker Jamie Sharper come to mind right away. Both players were too expensive to keep in the end because their play garnered too much money for the Ravens. Once again, the salary cap stripped the team of a few good players. Another terrific linebacker picked in the high rounds named Edgerton Hartwell also had to go because he couldn’t get the money he felt he deserved from the Ravens.

The Ravens always kept their core players on defense. McAlister, Boulware, Reed, and Lewis were able to stick around. The Ravens figured they’d just fill in players around them. The Ravens were also able to draft pro bowl performer Terrell Suggs in 2003 in the first round. Suggs is a core player, too. However, it became obvious in the mid-2000’s that the Ravens needed a much better offense if they wanted to become an elite team. Around 2005, they started drafting more offensive players with their high round picks.

Beginning the Offensive Transition


In 2005, the Ravens selected wide receiver Mark Clayton with their first round selection. In the 4th round, they selected offensive lineman Jason Brown, who has since gone on to sign the biggest contract for a center in history with the St. Louis Rams. Both of these players are no longer with the team, but they signaled a change in philosophy within the organization. They also signed veteran receiver Derrick Mason, who is statistically the best wide receiver the team has had. In 2006, the Ravens took offensive lineman Chris Chester in the 2nd round and Demetrius Williams in the 4th round. Both players failed to live up to expectations, but Chester has come on strong the last few years and is currently starting with the team. Williams was a huge disappointment and was cut in training camp in 2010.

In 2007, the Ravens took guard Ben Grubbs in the first round. They were trying to go for a new look offensive line that would feature quicker, more athletic lineman. Third round pick Marshal Yanda is now the starting right tackle, and is another smaller lineman with excellent feet. The Ravens were able to find two-time Pro Bowl fullback Le’Ron McClain in the 4th round. They only took two defensive players in this draft, both after the 4th round.


Finding a Franchise Quarterback


Now that the Ravens had their line, they could pick a franchise quarterback. Boller was clearly never going to lead them to where they wanted to go, and they needed to find a new quarterback to lead them. They picked a little known University of Delaware product named Joe Flacco in the first round, and a well-known running back considered by many to be too small to be a first round pick named Ray Rice. Flacco and Rice have had excellent starts to their careers. Later in the draft, the Ravens took safeties Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura, but neither of these players was picked in the higher rounds.

Flacco has been everything and more that the team could have hoped for. In his first two years, he started every game and won three playoff games on the road. Through nine games in 2010, he has thrown 15 touchdowns to 7 interceptions and has the team 6-3 with a good chance to win the AFC North division.


The Beginning of the End


With the defense starting to lose key members like McAlister and linebacker Bart Scott, it became obvious the Ravens needed help on this unit. Lewis was still playing at a high level, but he was approaching his mid-30’s by now. Suddenly, the cornerbacks weren’t as good as they once were. They lost some players who could rush the passer, as well. While the offense was starting to get better, it was clear the defense wasn’t as good. Many thought the team would choose a cornerback in the first round of the 2009 draft, but they selected offensive tackle Michael Oher instead. While this was a tremendous pick, it also meant the defense couldn’t get any high impact players. They picked defensive end Paul Kruger in the 2nd round, but he has yet to make a true impact. Many observers feel that he is too small to be a defensive end and not quick enough to be a linebacker. He is still a work in progress. The Ravens signed cornerback Domonique Foxworth via free agency. While he did very well in 2009, he tore his ACL in training camp in 2010 and was lost for the year. The Ravens now had to turn to players in the secondary who are not nearly as good as the players before them. Corners Frank Walker and Fabian Washington are not nearly as good as McAlister, Starks, or Baxter. Reed developed a nerve impingement in his neck and virtually had to change his game. What used to be a sure tackling, take all chances safety, turned into a tackling liability, but still a tremendous ball hawk. Because he played differently, he ended up hurting his hip in late 2009. He is back, but he isn’t nearly the same player he once was.

The Ravens defense has slipped. Other than 2006 first round pick Haloti Ngata, who is a pro bowl caliber player, the team has not used a first round pick on a defensive player since 2003. This has contributed greatly to not having playmakers anymore on defense. They once used first round picks on defense four years in a row (1996-1999) and each of those players except Starks made multiple pro bowls. Because of the salary cap in the NFL, there had to be a tradeoff. While the offense got better, the defense had to get a little worse. It’s a reality of the NFL today. My guess is now that the offense is better; they will probably use a first round pick on a defensive player in 2011. Getting Foxworth back next year will also help them out greatly in the secondary.


What does the Future Hold?


The Ravens are in good shape going forward. They have a franchise quarterback, a tremendous running back, a number one receiver in Anquan Boldin (acquired from the Arizona Cardinals), and a young offensive line. Their offense will only continue to get better. The transition from defensive team to offensive team was bound to happen. The defense had been becoming less dominant over the past couple of years, and 2010 seems to be the real boiling point. Nobody should be surprised by what has happened to the defense based on the number of great players they’ve lost and the lack of high picks they’ve used on that side of the ball. It will just have to take Baltimore fans time to let it soak in: the defense isn’t the same defense it used to be.