The Demotion of Chris Tillman: Only UnTILL He's Ready

Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman, 21, lost out to David Hernandez, 25, for the fifth spot in the Baltimore Orioles opening day rotation. Tillman was long thought to be the leader for the spot because of his youth and rank as one of the best young prospects in the major leagues. Tillman, however, walked nine batters in 16 plus innings to earn his ticket back to the minors.

Tillman has loads of potential, but he needs to learn how to harness it. He has been working on a cutter to go along with his low-90's fastball, change-up, and 12-6 curveball repertoire. Tillman, quite frankly, just needs a little bit more seasoning. It isn't that Hernandez is a much better option; rather he is a little older and can throw his pitches for strikes more consistently than Tillman.

Hernandez throws in the mid-90's and has been haunted a bit by the long ball, but he is also a very good pitcher with men in scoring position. I was surprised that his stats with RISP didn't warrant him a spot in the bullpen as a late-inning reliever.

There was a time not so long ago when the Orioles would bring up their young pitchers because they didn't have much depth and were force feeding the young guns to the best hitters in the world (see Daniel Cabrera, Hayden Penn). Thankfully, this is not the case anymore or Tillman would be working his struggles out in the majors. I predict that Tillman will be back within a month or two at the latest, and he will supplant either Hernandez or veteran Jeremy Guthrie for a spot in the rotation. The minor leagues is where a young pitcher can gain confidence and work on his game, and I believe Tillman will come back even better. If he can add the cutter to his other pitchers, which would create more ground balls and set up other pitches, then he will be very successful for many years.

It was a wise decision for the O's to send Tillman down and let Hernandez start the season with the big club.

Washington Redskins: Same old, Same old?

The Washington Redskins have had a dilemma for the past decade; well, let's face it: they've had many dilemmas. One dilemma sticks out more than the rest. They have had a terrible ability to choose players, whether it be in the draft or free agency. They're evaluation of both people and talent is among the worst I've ever seen.

The Redskins have needed a left tackle through the draft for some time now, everybody knows it; yet everybody ignores it to keep playing fantasy football.

On Saturday, Brian Mitchell and his radio partner were discussing the idea of bringing Denver Bronco bad boy Brandon Marshall to DC. However, not once did they talk about the fact that it would take a first round pick to pry Marshall away because the Broncos laid the first round tender on him. What we would have if the Redskins took Marshall and forfeited their draft pick, is a still mediocre quarterback in Jason Campbell, and still nobody to keep him upright, which is what people have been whining about making excuses about for three or four years.

Can you imagine Brandon Marshall with Jason Campbell? I can. It does not look good.

Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen have the reputation for bringing in older players who are washed up, and players through the draft who do not work out. That's a major problem when winning is the main goal. If they fail to ignore the left tackle position or the quarterback position in the first round of the 2010 draft, it will be through pure arrogance on their part. Shanahan was fired after winning two super bowls in the late-1990's because he couldn't do things his way or without Elway. If the Redskins neglect the offensive line in the first few rounds they are making a serious mistake, and will continue to try and sell their fans on their way. I can tell you before it happens: their way does not work.

The Redskins have long tried to sell hope to their fans through offseason moves. Let's be honest here, too. This method has worked brilliantly because the faithful cannot get enough of it. Selling jerseys, making revenue, and putting people in the seats is a lot of fun, but I can tell you another thing. When you win, the winning sells itself. I'm just not sure this organization still has any clue how to do it.

What do you think? Are they on the right track? When they say they will be quiet in free agency (even though they only are because guys didn't want to come here) do you believe them? What say you?

Quick Final Four Preview

The Final Four is set. Duke, West Virginia, Butler, and Michigan State will be convening in Indianapolis, Indiana, next Saturday to decide who plays for the championship on Monday.

Just a few quick thoughts.

Duke:

Duke showed that they are better than people think in winning the last four games using senior leadership, toughness, and a combination of good low post players and seasoned guards. Senior Guard Jon Scheyer is one of the most underrated players to play at Duke since Carlos Boozer, and junior guard Nolan Smith provides timely scoring along with nasty defensive lockdown. Brian Zoubek is not much, but he is a fiery leader who rebounds and defends the way many Duke big men have in the past. Duke is a solid team that deserves to be in the final four once again.

West Virginia:

John Denver's mythic squad has been one of the most impressive teams in the tournament. They beat Kentucky to advance to the final four on Saturday night, and Da'Sean Butler showed America why he is one of the best players in the country. His silky smooth long range game and inside game are extremely tough to defend for anybody. Dub-V does not have many "name" guys, but they all fit perfect roles. Coach Bob Huggins provides a tough 1-3-1 zone that gives opposing offenses problems, and the game against Duke this Saturday should be stellar.

On the other side of the bracket, Michigan State will play hometown team Butler.

Michigan State:

Head coach Tom Izzo has now taken Sparty to 6 Final Four's in 12 years. The Spartans have relied on players like Durrell Summers and Draymond Green to make up for the absence of the injured guard Kalin Lucas to roll into the Final Four. Their win over Tennessee showed heart and toughness, and when Izzo is directing the troops he is worth eight points a game by himself. These Spartans have exceeded everybody's expectations.

Butler:

Butler is playing the Final Four only seven miles away from their campus. They should have a major following the crowd on Saturday night, and that can play a major role in the game. Head coach Brad Stevens is only 33, but he is leading a mid-major into the Final Four for the first time since 2006. His guards have been playing spectacular basketball as of late, and the grit and toughness they showed against Syracuse and Kansas State showed me they can beat Michigan State.

We are looking at two great match-ups on Saturday night. I believe we will see West Virginia play Butler in the least rated NCAA Championship game ever. That's a shame because it should be one hell of a show to watch.

Baltimore Ravens 2010 First Round Draft Outlook

The NFL draft is less than a month away, and it's getting to the point where players are starting to be pegged to certain teams. Me? I'm just glad the Ravens are no longer associated with drafting a quarterback high in the draft. Thank you, Joe Flacco.

The Ravens are a stacked team going into the 2010 campaign and only have a few needs. None of the needs are too glaring, however; but they could use some players at tight end, defensive line, cornerback, and wide receiver.

Tight End: The preference for the Ravens at pick #25 is to take Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham. Gresham was the nation's top tight end prospect heading into the 2009 season, but he suffered a torn ACL before it all started. He showed at the combine that he is back to being the physical specimen he was before, and the Ravens would love to take him with their first round pick. He represents youth, good blocking, solid hands, and fine speed at a position where the Ravens are getting older with Todd Heap. Heap is no longer what he once was, but he is still a very dependable player with the same sure hands he's had since becoming a first round pick in his own right back in 2001.

Gresham would make a fine pick here at 25 both in terms of value and long term for the Ravens.

Cornerback: Let's just throw top corner prospect Joe Haden of Florida out of the mix for now because he will be long gone by the time the 25th pick rolls around. The Ravens are said to like Boise State's Kyle Wilson and Rutgers' Devin McCourty. Both players are fast, have good hip movement, and can play the ball. I think if Grisham is gone by 25, the Ravens will try and trade down to acquire one of these two corners.

McCourty is my preference because of his size and skill set. I like corners who are a little bigger that can run and play the ball in the air. He has the ability to return kicks, too, which increases his value to the team. McCourty can be paired with Domonique Foxworth and Lardarius Webb when Webb returns from ACL surgery.

Defensive Line: Let's be honest here, too. The two dominant tackles in the draft will be gone at 25 as well. Brandon Graham of Michigan is an intriguing option here because he can play defensive end and outside linebacker. I would prefer him at this spot, and he certainly could be available at 25. Another option would be Everson Griffen of USC. Griffen needs to show a better motor at this point, but the Ravens are known to squeeze everything they have on defense out of a player. There isn't too much of a read on this position as far as who the Ravens like at this point.

Wide Receiver: The Ravens brought in two wide receivers this offseason to compliment the incumbent Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton. Anqaun Boldin and Donte Stallworth were brought in to help put the team over the hump, and I believe they can. Both players will compliment each other very well. Boldin works the middle better than almost anybody in the league, Mason can work the sideline better than almost anybody in the league, and Stallworth can run the deeper patterns as well as most. In football, much is made about what a player cannot do. Well, that's why it's a team game, and you have other players compliment what others cannot do. What you have is a beautiful mix of blending what everybody does well onto the field with team concepts.

As far as the draft goes, I can see the Ravens taking Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech. Thomas is a big, strong, and fast receiver who can stretch the field, yet make the tough catches. He could use a little development, but he won't be called on to do much with the Ravens in 2010, and he will have two of the best mentors anyone could ask for in Boldin and Mason.

Another receiver option would be Golden Tate out of Notre Dame. Tate is not a very tall guy, but he's strong as an ox and makes tough catches over the middle and on the sidelines. Tate has been compared to Hines Ward, and for a guy to be compared like that is high praise. Ward showed 4.3 speed at the combine and has shown great open field ability, too.

I would be okay if the Ravens took either of these two receivers.

The Ravens are in the fortunate position of being a great drafting team. Their scouting department led by GM Ozzie Newsome and his top assistant Eric DeCosta have brought in some of the most talented players in all of football over the past decade. Whatever they decide to do usually works, or works at a very high percentage relative to other teams in the league.

Who do you think the Ravens will take in the first round?????

Orioles vs Nationals

Over the past five years, there has been a division of hate between Nationals fans (all 20 of them) and Orioles fans. The Nationals fans have complained that Orioles owner Peter Angelos did all he could to keep the Expos from moving to DC in 2005. My response? Okay. Sorry. I would have done the same thing. Remember when the Redskins tried to keep Baltimore from having a team for 13 years? I do. Do the Ravens fans whine about the Redskins now? No. Anytime a team comes into your territory it's a big deal. This isn't Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles. The market isn't as big, nor does it fit as many people.

Let's be honest: There are 10 times as many Orioles fans than Nationals fans in the area. The Orioles outdraw the Nationals in television ratings---IN WASHINGTON DC! I'm sick and tired of Nationals fans blaming everything on the Orioles, and whining that it's their fault. The Orioles own the rights to Nationals televised games. Well, that was part of the deal of them coming here. Deal with it. It really shouldn't have an impact on whether people like the Nats or not.

The whining and pining about the Orioles is incredible. Almost everything I read from Nats fans has something to do with the Orioles. Memo to the Nats fans: The Orioles do not care about you. You are not a threat. Your team is terrible, there is no fan base, and there won't be one. For 33 years you all wanted a team, yet one was not given to you. When a team was given to you, it was not the one you wanted. What did you expect? The Dodgers to move here from LA? DC is/has never been a baseball town. Two teams have bounced from the DC area in the past 50 years. The only reason this one is staying is because the owners are from the area, and the ballpark was just built (In a dump of an area). Which reminds me. You guys don't have to slam Camden Yards. It's not a valid argument towards anything. OPACY is recognized as one of the best in baseball, and one that revolutionized how stadiums and ballparks were built in the country. Save me that ridiculous argument.

All of this comes from an article in the Washington Post today by solid baseball writer Dave Sheinin. You can read the article http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/22/AR2010032201730.html. Going through the comments section of the article is amazing because it's about half the people praising the Post for covering the O's, and half the comments about the Orioles getting love instead of the Nationals. Keep in mind that the Orioles were dropped from the Posts daily beat. The sensitive nature is incredible from Nats fans. Boohoo, wo is us. You know what? Win more than 60 damn games a season, then come back to me and we'll talk.

Mike Mussina's Shadow

Most Baltimore Orioles fans are aware that the club has turned to growing pitching arms over the past few seasons under club general manager Andy MacPhail. The club has promoted their young pitchers, but has let it be known that they will be careful with their young arms, and not promote them get to the big leagues until they are absolutely ready to compete at the highest level.

Perhaps no Oriole youngster is as good as left-hander Brian Matusz.

Matusz, 23, was drafted out of the University of San Diego in the first round, fourth overall, in the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft. He was known for his three above average pitches, with the fourth pitch being a slider that he was still working to perfect.

Matusz started his professional career in high single-A Frederick, and he didn't disappoint the Orioles. Matusz went 4-2 with a 2.16 era in a little over 60 innings pitched. With his success came a promotion to double-A Bowie, where he thrived even more. He went 7-0 with a 1.55 era. When the Orioles ran out of pitchers because of injuries in August, MacPhail didn't have too many other options other than Matusz. Matusz struggled for his first few starts, but then started figuring it out. His alst three starts he went seven innings and allowed three or less runs.

Matusz was shut down in September to avoid wearing down the way many young pitchers do when they go over a certain amount of innings. He has picked up right where he left off in spring training 2010.

Known for his cool demeanor and pitching savvy, Matusz has been nothing short of impressive this spring. He has a 2.51 ERA, 18 k's, and has allowed seven hits in 14 and 1/3 innings. Matusz has always missed a lot of bats with his stuff, but it's the way he thinks through at-bat's that impresses me the most. He is the left-handed version of Mike Mussina, and he hits the black with regularity, and he knows what to thrown, when to throw it, and to whom he is throwing it to.

I've heard comparisons of Matusz to future hall of famer and former Atlanta Brave and New York Met Tom Glavine. Glavine was a very good pitcher during the 1980's and 1990's, but I don't believe he had the complete package that Matusz has. Am I saying that Matusz will win over 300 games and win multiple Cy Young Awards? No. Those feats are very rare, and most of the time it takes a lot of good fortune to reach those milestones. I do, however, believe that Matusz has the ability to be the ace of the Orioles staff and win between 15-20 games each season for the next decade barring injury.

The Orioles preaching of growing arms is bound to pay off. They are stockpiling the arms the way good pitching teams need to, especially those who cannot buy pitching like other teams.

It's the Most Wonderful time.....of the Spring

Ladies and Gentlemen....THE SPRING HAS BEGUN. Well, the sports calendar of the spring, anyways.

March madness has started with a bang. Murray State defeated Vanderbilt on a buzzer shot, and Old Dominion defeated Notre Dame. Robert Morris took Villanova to overtime before running out of gas in the extra session. The games will get even better as the weekend progresses as Maryland will take the court Friday night in Spokane, Alaska; or Washington. It's so far away from Maryland it's ridiculous.

The Major League Baseball season is just around the corner. Hope springs eternal at this time for the 30 teams in Arizona and Florida who are just itching to get back to their cities to get this thing going. There are several questions for the area teams. Will the Orioles finally contend? Will the Nationals finally win more than 60 games while occupying their new ballpark? Will Stephen Strasburg be the star he is made out to be? All of those questions will be answered within the next few months, but today is the start.

The NFL Draft is about a month away, and the speculation as to who is going where and who is picking who is picking up at a rapid pace. Tim Tebow's workout yesterday in Florida was more like a rock concert than workout. It was highly attended, and the stadium's concession stands opened because of the high volume of fans in attendance. I'll be doing a mock draft in about two weeks, as well as an article about who I believe the Ravens should take in the first round. Who do you think the Ravens should take in the first round?

It's the most wonderful time of the year. The start of March Madness is the start of the baseball season, which leads to the NFL season. The MLB opening day is typically on the same Monday as the NCAA Championship game, and so we really do just roll from sport to sport. It's a great time to be a sports enthusiast.