Right Off Russell

Hakuna Ma-Ngata!!  It means lots of worries for opponents ground games.  Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is not the sole reason the Ravens run defense is so stout, but Ngata anchors the unit that sets the tone for what the team does on defense.  The Baltimore Ravens Defensive Line features a good combo of big, athletic guys, but it is their toughness that makes this group special.  The Ravens will continue to employ their base 3-4, but they will also use outside linebackers as rush ends and move interior lineman outside to rush the passer from different looks and angles. Read more »

So Boston is coming to town and whatever! Gosh I hate these freakin’ loser, bandwagon fans. You all know who I am talking about….. heck, I was one for a year. So yes, I hate myself in a way. Enough of that.

So while the air is still buzzing abou the Sherrill trade, the callups, and Bergie’s injury, I would say the O’s are ripe for some losses. They have to be bummed about their ace going on the DL. They are now trying out a new closer who has struggled in recent weeks. And when they aren’t scoring 7 runs a game, this team can’t seem to get on the board.
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We interviewed Kam 2 days ago. We thought we would get this up now that he has been recalled to Baltimore. Watch and listen to Kam talk about his repertoire, his thoughts on moving through the organization and his unknown nickname.

So while Bergesen’s xrays were negative, that doesn’t mean he still wasn’t hurt. As a result, he was put on the 15 day DL today.

Between that and the Sherrill trade, that left 2 roster spots open that were filled by Chris Ray, returning from his rehab assignment in Bowie, and Kam Mikolio, who was recalled from AAA Norfolk.

Chris Ray was an expected move. He will most likely return as the setup man to the new closer, Jim Johnson. Mikolio was a bit of a surprise. He had a successful stint with the Birds but was sent back to Norfolk to make room for newly acquired Cla Meredith. On a conference call last night, Andy McPhail seemed to indicate that Dennis Sarfate would be coming off the DL. Not sure what went behind the decision to call Mikolio up instead.

Should Ray be closing instead of Jim Johnson?
What do you think Mikolio brings to the table that other relievers don’t?

Orioles- Bergie killed it yesterday vs Royals [Orioles]
Orioles- Info on the new players, Josh Bell and Steve Johnson [MASN Sports]
Tides- Andy Mitchell gets roughed up in loss [Tides]
Baysox- Erbe strong, but bullpen let game get away [Baysox]
Ravens- Interested in Mike Vick? [Bleacher Report]
Ravens- Reed is put on the PUP list [Carroll County Times]

On his twitter page, Ed Price from FanHouse is reporting that George Sherrill has been traded to the Dodgers. He is still trying to confirm the story and we have no details. More to come when we have it.

Who is the Bird’s closer? Ray, Miller, Johnson?

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Speculation from this article, has 3B prospect, Josh Bell, coming to the O’s. This is only speculation.

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theoriolereport Reports are the Orioles have traded George Sherrill to the Dodgers for 3B Josh Bell and RHP Steve Johnson. Check the site later for more.

Dempsey’s Army- Numbers geek, Heath, takes on Camden Crazies, Frost King, concerning Matt Wieters- SabreMetrics WAR!
Camden Chat- Matt Wieters’ 2 month analysis
Loss Column- Spolight on Zach Britton and an overall farm overview
Eutaw Street Hooligans- Presenting the official ESH Guide to Heckling
Kissing Suzy Kolber- Here is their AFC North Preview
Ebony Bird- This is the rundown of Ravens in Madden ‘10
Baltimore Beatdown- One of the many camp breakdowns
Testudo Times- Gets down on some AAU basketball recruit targets

Ravens- Oher agrees to term [The Sun]
Ravens- Gregg on the comeback trail [Ravens 24x7]
Ravens- Harper looking for lost time [Carroll County Times]
Orioles- They win despite Tillman’s struggles [Orioles]
Orioles- Tillman talks about his outing [MASN Sports]
Tides- Arrieta struggles, Fiorentino with the bailout [Tides]
Baysox- Tanaka notches 1st win [Our Sports Central]
Keys- Beato helps Frederick sweep Salem [Keys]

It is amazing how the start of training camp gets my football glands salivating again.  Specifically, I really start to get going when information about the Ravens starts to flow.  I cannot get enough of training camp updates that get my hopes sky high about what players are going to step up and have huge years.  The only problem is many of the updates you hear are about guys when they do something good and it is after all only camp and can only be taken with a grain of salt until live bullets start flying.  With that said here are some early impressions from training camp.

Demetrius Williams Looking Good: This is perhaps the best news Ravens fans can hear.  The team is in desperate need of a big, and healthy, year from Williams.  His emergence would go a long way in softening the blow of losing Derrick Mason, should he stay retired.  John Harbaugh said he looked good on Tuesday, showing no signs of the limp that he showed during mini-camps.  According to Ken Murray’s Baltimore Sun article Williams looks noticeably larger having added about 15 lbs. of muscle since last season.  Williams has the potential to be a big play threat for the Ravens this year, will he live up to it? Read more »

I am sitting here trying to figure out if I should be relieved or not. I have been a pretty outspoken fan of Rich Hill. He seems like a great guy with a killer curve-ball and potentially devastating stuff. And yet he has struggled mightily this season often having a terrible time trying to locate his other pitches. After his last start, we start to hear rumors of an injury. First it sounded like tendinitis. Now it’s a more severe injury. Whatever it is, it allows the O’s to keep him safe and protected on the DL.

So on one hand I’m glad he’ll get another shot on the other hand, this injury seems convenient. Maybe the O’s knew about the injury, and they tried to make it work. Maybe this was hidden from them. I am just curious to know if full disclosure was in place. I’d like to think that the O’s wouldn’t create a phantom injury to keep Hill safe for a little longer. I know teams do it all the time, but I often wonder about the ethics behind it. I guess we will find out in a few days. As we have seen with Chorye Spoone and Troy Patton, labrum surgery is no joke.

In the end, I hope Hill gets better and can regain his form and ultimately be a force in the O’s rotation in the future.

How legit do you think this injury is?
If the injury is real, does this change your perception of Hill and his potential?