Orioles Magic

Tuesday, April 28 - Wednesday, April 29

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (7-11) at Baltimore Orioles (9-11)

Pitching Matchups

Tuesday: LAA - Joe Saunders (2-1, 3.51)
BAL - Adam Eaton (1-2, 7.04)

Wednesday: LAA - Matt Palmer (1-0, 6.00)
BAL - Koji Uehara (2-1, 4.56)

The Orioles are looking to rebound against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after dropping 3 of 4 against the Texas Rangers. The O's pitched decently against the Rangers but dropped three close games.

The Angels have been beset by tragedy and injuries to start the season. There was the tragic death of picther Nick Adenhart a few weeks ago, plus injuries to Vladimir Guerrero and pitcher John Lackey have caused the Angels to stumble out of the gate. The Angels rotation is led by Jered Weaver, and tonight's starter Joe Saunders. Their offense has been carried by free agent pickup, RF Bobby Abreu, who leads the team with a .375 average. CF Tori Hunter is also hitting well, he leads the team in home runs (7) and RBIs (14).

Not much has changed for the Orioles when it comes to offense. The top of the order is still hitting the ball well, while the bottom half of the order continues to struggle. For the Orioles to have any chance to compete they have to get consistent hitting from top to bottom. The call up of C Matt Weiters can't happen soon enough, as C Gregg Zaun is hitting atrociously (.120, 0 HR, 1 RBI).

Tonight's Orioles starter Adam Eaton had an encouraging outing against the White Sox in his last start, and tomorrow' starter Koji Uehara has shown flashes of what he could be. It would be nice if the O's could rattle off a couple of wins here, before they head on the road to Toronto and Tampa Bay.

The Week That Was

Trying to find time for the blog over the past week has been difficult to say the least. However, I owe it to my loyal readers to give my best effort. It is one of the best times of year to be a sports fan. The NBA and NHL Playoffs are in full swing, and the NFL continues to dominate headlines, even in its off season, with the NFL Draft.

The Washington Capitals have come back from the brink of elimination to even their series with the New York Rangers, 3-3. Tuesday night the Caps will host the Rangers and try to complete the come back from a 3-1 deficit. If it seems like deja vu from last year that is because it is. The Caps got behind the Philadelphia Flyers last year 3-1, before making a frantic comeback to even the series at 3. They had the deciding seventh game at the Verizon Center but fell in overtime. Hopefully, they can re write a new chapter tomorrow night.

The NBA Playoffs have been very entertaining, with many games coming right down to the final buzzer. The Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics are engaged in a tremendous series, that is now 2 apiece after the Bulls overtime win yesterday. I wish I could be watching more of this series as it has been tremendous. Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo continue to play a game of can you top this.

The Los Angeles Lakers got a key victory over the Jazz on Saturday in Utah to take a 3-1 series lead. After a miserable game three, Kobe Bryant went off in game four. It is only a matter of time before the Lakers close out the Jazz.

The NFL Draft was this past Saturday and some of the major picks by the San Franciso 49ers, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles were tremendous. The Niners had Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree fall into their laps after the Oakland Raiders passed on him for Maryland WR Darius Heyward-Bey. Crabtree gives the Niners a young, bonafide receiver and should help take some of the pressure off RB Frank Gore. The Niners could still use some help at the QB position but you can't argue with them taking Crabtree. The Redskins avoided being stupid and trading up for incredibly overrated QB Mark Sanchez out of USC, and instead stuck at #13 and took Texas Defensive End Brian Orakpo. The Redskins are mostly very old on the defensive line but with the additions of Orakpo and Haynesworth in the off-season should be much more improved up front. That could be scary for the rest of the league as the Skins were already the 4th best defense in the NFL last year without those two. The Vikings took WR Percy Harvin of Florida, who had slipped because of character questions. It reminded me of when the Vikings had Randy Moss fall into their laps. I don't think Harvin will have the career of Moss but he is ridiculously talented, and his speed will be in full effect on the Metrodome turf. The Vikings, like the Niners, still need to upgrade the QB position but based on where they were drafting this was the best pick they could have made. The Eagles confused me a bit by taking Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin in the first round, but then made a great pick when they got Pittsburgh RB LeSean McCoy. McCoy will take some pressure off of Brian Westbrook and gives the Eagles another versatile option in their backfield. Adding Maclin to their receiving corps gives the Eagles two young, talented receivers, as Maclin will join last year's rookie sensation DeSean Jackson.

Orioles Magic

Tuesday, April 21 - Thursday, April 23

Chicago White Sox (7-5) at Baltimore Orioles (6-7)

Pitching Matchups

Tuesday: CWS - Jose Contreras (0-2, 6.97)
BAL - Brad Bergesen

Wednesday: CWS - John Danks (1-0, 0.75)
BAL - Jeremy Guthrie (2-0, 4.32)

Thursday: CWS - Bartolo Colon (1-0, 3.86)
BAL - Adam Eaton (0-2, 11.25)

The Orioles return home after a dreadful weekend series against the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox swept the Orioles in convincing fashion and further highlighted the pitching woes that permeate throughout the Orioles rotation. The Orioles bats cooled considerably against the Red Sox, mix that with the horrible pitching and the result was four straight losses in Boston. The Orioles played well at home in the first week of the season and hopefully can get back on track against the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox are doing alright to start the season, currently 7-5 on the year. They played very well in their weekend series at Tampa Bay, taking three of four. Offensively, they are led by RF Jermaine Dye (.370, 4 HR, 9 RBI) and LF Carlos Quentin (.02, 7 HR, 13 RBI). Mark Buehrle is the White Sox best pitcher, thankfully the Orioles will avoid him in this series.

The Orioles continue to have the top of their order hit well but they need more guys to step up. Aubrey Huff is off to a bit of a slow start, hitting just .265 and only managing 1 HR. The Orioles leading home run hitter has two, which is not good, some of these guys need to start hitting for power.

Brad Bergesen makes his debut for the Orioles tonight as they continue to try to search for a consistent starting five. Adam Eaton gets the start Thursday and he will likely need to perform well to avoid being dropped from the rotation. Losers of five straight, the Orioles are desperate for a victory.

The Week That Was

The second seasons for both the NBA and NHL began this past week, and each had their fair share of surprises. In the NBA, four of the eight road teams won Game 1 of their series. The Chicago Bulls put in an inspired effort, led by stud Derrick Rose's 36 points and knocked off the Celtics in overtime, 105-103. Hopefully, the Bulls can take another game in Boston but even if they don't they at least assured themselves a split. It will be imperative for them to sweep at home if they want to pull off the upset, because the chances of them winning another game in Boston are slim. The biggest upset of the weekend was the Philadelphia 76ers defeating the Orlando Magic. The Sixers were down by as many as 18 in the third quarter but staged a furious rally in the fourth. Andre Iguodala hit a shot at the buzzer to give the Sixers the win, and atone for missing two free throws a minute earlier that could have put the Sixers ahead. Other road teams that won were the Houston Rockets over the Portland Trail Blazers in a rout, and the Dallas Mavericks storming from behind to beat the San Antonio Spurts. The heavy favorites to reach the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers had no trouble in their Game 1's.

The Washington Capitals had one of their best seasons in franchise history but it appears one thing hasn't changed, they still choke in the playoffs. The Caps dropped the first two games at home against the New York Rangers and now face a must win at Madison Square Garden tonight. The Capitals switched goalies after starting goalie Jose Theodore performed poorly in a 4-3, Game 1 loss. They inserted rookie goaltender, Simeon Varlamov, for Game 2. Varlamov only gave up a goal, but was outplayed by Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Caps star Alexander Ovechkin hasn't scored a goal yet and it is imperative for the Caps that he get off the schneid tonight.

News broke last week that the Washington Wizards are poised to name Flip Saunders their new head coach. Saunders has previously been the head coach of the Minnesota Timeberwolves and Detroit Pistons. Saunders teams have consistently done well in the regular season but faltered and fell short of expectations in the playoffs. Saunders is known as an offensive mastermind, and it is believed he can make the Wizards even more potent on offense than they already are. I think Avery Johnson would have been the better hire. The Wizards haven't lacked scoring punch all of these years, they have lacked defense. I think Johnson could have instilled that toughness. I don't think Saunders is a bad hire, and I think he can get the Wizards into the playoffs, but if the goal is to win championships I think Johnson would have been the better choice.

My flag football team, Ron Burgundy, dropped their first game of the season yesterday, 24-2. The game was closer than the score indicates as we had many scoring opportunities but couldn't punch the ball into the end zone. The team we played, The Show, were very good, especially this one girl they had who burned us for multiple touchdowns. We play again on Sunday, thankfully at 3 PM, as yesterday's 9 AM start time was not fun.

Orioles Magic

Friday, April 17 - Monday, April 20

Baltimore Orioles (6-3) at Boston Red Sox (3-6)

Pitching Matchups

Friday: BAL - Jeremy Guthrie (2-0, 2.25)
BOS - Brad Penny (1-0, 4.50)

Saturday: BAL - Adam Eaton (0-1, 9.00)
BOS - Josh Beckett (1-1, 3.46)

Sunday: BAL - Koji Uehara (2-0, 7.20)
BOS - John Lester (0-2, 9.00)

Monday: BAL - Mark Hendrickson (1-1, 3.00)
BOS - Justin Masterson (1-1, 4.50)

The Orioles won their third consecutive series to open the season, improving to 6-3. Through the first nine games the Orioles have followed the same pattern. Win the first two games of a series, get shellacked in the third. Despite their 6-3 start, the O's are -13 in run differential, showing that the pitching is still not what the Orioles need it to be.

They head to Boston to take on the Red Sox, who have also gotten off to a surprising start, except in a negative way. The Red Sox come into the series 3-6 and in last place in the AL East. The Red Sox offense is performing poorly, they are currently 12th in the American League with a .242 batting average. 1B Kevin Youkilis and LF Jason Bay are the only two that are really hitting the ball well for them. Reigning AL MVP 2B Dustin Pedroia is hitting just .179, and DH David "Big Papi" Ortiz is hitting .176, with 0 HRs and 3 RBIs.

The O's continue to hit the ball well to open the season, Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, and Adam Jones are all on a tear. It hurt the O's to put Melvin More on the 15-day DL as he had also gotten off to a hot start. The pitching is pretty much atrocious right now, with only Jeremy Guthrie being a truly reliable starter.

Unfortunately, the O's probably won't be able to avoid Red Sox P Josh Beckett, who has appealed his suspension and is scheduled to pitch Saturday. This series could be a great confidence booster for Baltimore if they can play well. I hope they can at least get a split of this 4 game set.

2009 NBA Playoffs

The NBA season kicks into high gear for the next two months as 16 teams battle to become NBA Champion. People have their complaints about the NBA and the NBA Playoffs. They say the players don't try hard enough and that the playoffs take too long. Some of that may be true but the best basketball is played in the NBA. The intensity of the playoffs is great to watch and will make for an interesting two months. Most people seem to think the NBA Finals will match the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Los Angeles Lakers, especially with the news that came yesterday that the defending champion Boston Celtics will likely be without Kevin Garnett for the playoffs. LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant would be the ideal NBA Finals matchup but anything can happen.

Eastern Conference First Round

Best Series: #4 Atlanta Hawks (47-35) vs. #5 Miami Heat (43-39)

Honestly, the Bulls/Celtics series will be better than this one but I already previewed that series. This one will be the second most entertaining as the under the radar Hawks take on Dwayne Wade and the Heat. Wade would be reason enough to watch this series, in any other season he would be the MVP. He put up 30.2 points per game, 7.5 assists per game, and 1.5 blocks per game. He is the sole reason this team is even in the playoffs. Rookie PF Michael Beasley has picked up his play as of late and provided some help to Wade. The Hawks haven't been talked about much but they have an exciting team, one that is looking to take the next step after last season taking the Celtics to the limit. The Hawks are a very balanced team offensively, receiving contributions from SG Joe Johnson (21.4 points per game), PF Josh Smith (15.6 points per game, PG Mike Bibby (14.9 points per game), and SF Marvin Williams (13.9 points per game). Both teams are pretty good defensively and this should be a series that goes the full seven.

Any Upsets?: I don't think there will be any upsets in the First Round. I think the series will be competitively played for the most part but I like the matchups for all of the favorites in this round. I expect the Celtics and the Hawks to get the most trouble.

Individual Matchup to Watch: Cleveland's LeBron James vs. Detroit's Tayshaun Prince

It will be Prince's assignment to try to at least somewhat contain James. Prince is very skilled defensively and the Pistons held LeBron to 25.8 points a game in their 4 meetings this season. That is a ton of points but being kept relative that is a good night defensively against James. Some of that number has to do with the Cavs blowing the Pistons out and LeBron leaving the game early but not all of it. The Pistons have very little chance in this series, their only chance is try to somehow limit LeBron and force other Cavs to step up.

Predictions:
#1 Cleveland Cavaliers over #8 Detroit Pistons, 4-2
#4 Atlanta Hawks over #5 Miami Heat, 4-3
#2 Boston Celtics over #7 Chicago Bulls, 4-3
#3 Orlando Magic over #6 Philadelphia 76ers, 4-1


Western Conference First Round

Best Series: #4 Portland Trail Blazers (54-28) vs. #5 Houston Rockets (53-29)

The Trail Blazers began their ascension somewhat quicker than most might have suspected and now have earned home court advantage in the First Round. The Blazers are a highly entertaining team. SG Brandon Roy (22.6 points per game) is their star, who the Rockets know all too well. Early in the season these two played in a classic game, with Roy hitting an unbelievable shot at the buzzer to give the Blazers a victory. PF LaMarcus Aldridge also puts up huge numbers scoring and rebounding, 18.1 points per game and 7.5 rebounds. Centers Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla will have their work cut out for them with the Rockets C Yao Ming. Ming led the Rockets in scoring (19.7 per game), rebounding (9.9 per game), and blocks (1.95 per game). Yao was out with an injury in the Rockets First Round series last year. This year the Rockets will be missing Tracy McGrady, although honestly the team has played most of the year without him and been fine. A large reason for that was the addition of SF Ron Artest. Artest provided another scoring option to pick up McGrady's lost scoring and also has performed well on the defensive end, for which he has always been known. I think most of the games in this series will come down to the finish, ending with a classic game seven.

Any Upsets?: I like the #7 New Orleans Hornets (49-33) to knock off the #2 Denver Nuggets (54-28). The point guard battle between the Hornets Chris Paul and the Nuggets Chauncey Billups will be great to see. The effect that Billups has had on the Nuggets can't be denied but this team has been famous over the years for First Round flame outs. The Hornets have slightly underachieved this year but they have had some distractions and injuries to deal with. I know they come into the playoffs stumbling but I like how they matchup with the Nuggets. I think the Hornets can slow the Nuggets offense and Paul can carry them to the Second Round.

Individual Matchup to Watch: San Antonio's Tony Parker vs. Dallas' Jason Kidd

Kidd is going to have to try to go back to his defensive abilities of five years ago for the Mavericks to have any chance against the Spurs. Kidd was abused by Parker this season, as Parker averaged 31.3 points per game against the Mavericks, 9 points above his season average. Kidd is still an assist machine and can create on the offensive end but he is a definite defensive liability. The Spurs will be hurt with the loss of Manu Ginobli but I think they have such an advantage in point guard matchup that they will be fine against the Mavericks.

Predictions:
#1 Los Angeles Lakers over #8 Utah Jazz, 4-0
#4 Portland Trail Blazers over #5 Houston Rockets, 4-3
#7 New Orleans Hornets over #2 Denver Nuggets, 4-3
#3 San Antonio Spurs over #6 Dallas Mavericks, 4-2

2009 NBA Playoffs - Chicago Bulls (41-41)

Eastern Conference First Round

#2 Boston Celtics (62-20) vs. #7 Chicago Bulls (41-41)

The Chicago Bulls enter the playoffs playing their best basketball of the season. Since bringing in SF John Salmons and C Brad Miller from the Sacramento Kings in a deadline trade, the Bulls have gone 18-11 to finish the season at .500. In a matchup that brings back memories of the 80's they take on the defending NBA champions, the Boston Celtics.

Offensively, the Bulls are carried by rookie sensation PG Derrick Rose, SG Ben Gordon, and Salmons. Gordon led the team in scoring with 20.7 points per game, Salmons averaged 18.8 per game, and Rose was the one who brought it all together with 16.8 points per game, and 6.3 assists per game. On the defensive end the Bulls rely on PF Tyrus Thomas, who led the team in blocks with 1.9 per game and get contributions on the glass from Miller (7.3 rebounds per game) and C Joakim "Dog Face" Noah (7.6 rebounds per game).

The Celtics are known for their Big Three, SG Ray Allen (18.2 points per game), SF Paul Pierce (20.5 points per game), and PF Kevin Garnett (15.8 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game). Breaking news this morning is that Garnett is likely out for the playoffs. This deals a big blow to the Celtics and greatly enhances the Bulls chances in this series. Oftentimes overlooked but just as important to the Celtics success is PG Rajon Rondo. Rondo put up 8.3 assists per game and was on fire when the season began. He cooled considerably as the season wore on and the Celtics will need him to catch fire again for the playoffs. C Kendrick Perkins quietly had a nice season, leading the team in blocks and rebounds per game. The Celtics also possess considerable depth, PG Eddie House, PF Leon Powe, PF Glen "Big Baby" Davis, and PG Stephon Marbury, can all provide a spark.

The battle between Rose and Rondo will be fun to watch, as will watching Allen on Gordon. The bigs should also be entertaining to watch as the Celtics throw Powe and Davis against Noah, Miller, and Thomas. The Bulls are a better scoring team than the Celtics but are much worse defensively, giving up 9 more points per game. Another factor to consider will be the home courts. The Celtics struggled mightily on the road in the playoffs last year, and playing in Chicago will prove to be a challenge as the Bulls were a very good home team. Conversely, the Cetlics were almost unbeatable at home in the playoffs last year, bad news for the Bulls, who were an awful road team this season.

I like the Bulls chances a lot better now that Garnett won't be playing, however, the Celtics have shown throughout this season that they can win without him. I think the Bulls will take the Celtics to the limit but the home court will prove to be the difference in game 7.

Prediction: Celtics over Bulls, 4-3

2009 NBA Playoffs - Los Angeles Lakers (65-17)

Western Conference First Round

#1 Los Angeles Lakers (65-17) vs. #8 Utah Jazz (48-34)

The Los Angeles Lakers begin their march to righting the wrongs of last year with a First Round meeting against the Utah Jazz. This is a rematch of last year's Western Conference Semi-Final Round, which the Lakers took out the Jazz in 6 games. The Jazz gave the Lakers all they could handle in that series last year but things figure to be a little easier for the Lakers this time around.

Firstly, they will have C Andrew Bynum in the playoffs. Bynum missed last year's playoffs and is widely considered the main reason the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Bynum was out for a few months this season but came back last week and is slowly working himself back in to game shape. Secondly, the Jazz come into the playoffs reeling. They have lost 7 of 9 which caused them to tumble to the 8th spot and have the unenviable task of meeting the Lakers. The Lakers took the season series 2-1, including a win last night against the Jazz at Staples Center.

The Jazz are led by PG Deron Williams (19.4 points per game, 10.7 assists per game), and PF Carlos Boozer, who played in just 37 games this year. Picking up the slack during Boozer's absence was C Mehmet Okur, who finished second on the team in scoring with 17 points per game. The biggest threat on the glass for the Jazz is PF Paul Millsap who led the team with 8.6 rebounds per game. SG Ronnie Brewer is another scoring threat but also disappears in games quite a bit. SF C.J. Miles has shown promise as an undrafted free agent, averaging 9 points per game. SG Kyle Korver is a three point specialist, shooting 39 percent from three point land this season.

Of course when you think of the Lakers you think of Kobe Bryant. Despite his scoring being slightly down this year Bryant had another outstanding season and is once again garnering MVP consideration. Bryant led the Lakers in scoring and assists (26.8 points per game, 4.9 assists per game). Pau Gasol had an outstanding season in his first full season with Lakers, averaging 18.9 points per game, and leading the team in rebounding with 9.6 a game. The Lakers will have a major advantage on the glass against the Jazz, not only is Gasol a rebounding machine but so are Bynum (8 rebounds per game), and PF Lamar Odom (8.2 rebounds per game). PG Derek Fisher still has it, especially from three point land, shooting 40 percent from there this season. The Lakers also have a deep bench, receiving contributions from SF Trevor Ariza, SG Sasha Vujacic, PG Jordan Farmar, and SF Luke Walton.

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan basically admitted last night that the chances for his team taking this series are bleak. When even a coach has little faith in his team, how will the public have faith in them? The Lakers are better offensively and defensively. Bryant had great games against the Jazz this year, averaging 31 points per game against them. I think the Lakers are primed for a sweep.

Prediction: Lakers over Jazz, 4-0

Orioles Magic

Monday, April 13 - Wednesday, April 15

Baltimore Orioles (4-2) at Texas Rangers (3-3)

Pitching Matchups

Monday: BAL - Koji Uehara (1-0, 1.80)
TEX - Vicente Padilla (1-0, 4.76)

Tuesday: BAL - Alfredo Simon (0-1, 7.20)
TEX - Brandon McCarthy (1-0, 5.40)

Wednesday: BAL - Mark Hendrickson (1-0, 1.69)
TEX - Kris Benson (0-1, 12.60)

The Orioles, despite getting shellacked by the Tampa Bay Rays 11-3 yesterday, completed a successful opening week. They sit at 4-2, 1/2 game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Of course, standings don't really mean anything this early in the season but as an O's fan you will take what you can get.

The Orioles travel to Texas for their first road series of the young season. The Rangers are 3-3, but are losers of three in a row after getting swept at Detroit. The Rangers have always been trying to solve their pitching problems while consistently having one of the top offenses in baseball. 2B Ian Kinsler leads team with a .348 average and 8 RBIs, while CF Nelson Cruz has gotten off to a hot start and leads the team with 3 HRs.

The Orioles showed that their top 3 hitters could be the most dangerous top 3 in all of baseball as Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, and Adam Jones have all gotten off to scorching starts. Markakis currently leads the team in HRs (1) and RBIs (7), while Jones leads the team with a .409 average. Jones was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Erik Bedard to Seattle last season and it is very encouraging to see him off to such a hot start.

The Orioles would seem to have the edge in two of the three pitching matchups. Koji Uehara makes his second start tonight, and looks to build off of his promising first start against the Yankees. On Wednesday, the O's get to face former teammate Kris Benson, who got shelled in his first start.

Orioles Magic

Friday, April 10 - Sunday, April 12

Tampa Bay Rays (2-1) at Baltimore Orioles (2-1)

Pitching Matchups

Friday: TB - Andy Sonnanstine
BAL - Mark Hendrickson

Saturday: TB - Jeff Niemann
BAL - Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 4.50)

Sunday: TB - James Shields (0-1, 8.44)
BAL - Adam Eaton

The Baltimore Orioles continue their AL East opening week home stand as they welcome in last year's Cinderellas, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays took 2 of 3 from the Boston Red Sox and are looking to prove the doubters wrong who say they were a one year wonder. The Orioles are just looking to finish above .500 this season. They have not finished over .500 since 1997, crushing the souls of most of their fans. However, there have been some loyal O's fans such as myself, who know when the Orioles once again become a winning team, their loyalty will be rewarded. I will be at the best stadium in Major League Baseball on Saturday night, Camden Yards, cheering on the O's.

Baltimore had a nice start to the season, taking 2 of 3 from the hated New York Yankees. The question mark for the Orioles this year is their pitching. The Orioles have one legitimate starter, Jeremy Guthrie and question marks for their four other starters. Japanese pitcher Koji Uehara had an impressive debut Wednesday night against the Yankees, providing some hope. The O's should have a potent offense, led by 2B Brian Roberts, RF Nick Markakis, DH Aubrey Huff, and the emerging CF Adam Jones.

The Rays have a dangerous offense as well. In the off season they added LF Pat Burrell from the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, and of course they return LF Carl Crawford, 3B Evan Longoria, and C Dioner Navarro. The Rays have solid pitching as well but the Orioles are fortunate in that they will be avoiding Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza. Andy Sonnanstine and Jeff Niemann will be making their first starts of the season, while James Shield will look to rebound from a rough first start against the Red Sox. Hopefully, the Birds can maintain their momentum and take another series from an AL East foe

The Week That Was

Congratulations to the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions, the North Carolina Tar Heels! The Heels destroyed Michigan State 89-72 to win their 6th national title and their second in five seasons. Roy Williams has done a pretty good job proving the morons wrong that say he can't coach. Much like they have all season, the Tar Heels absolutely decimated the Spartans right from the opening tip. The game was never close and the Heels got dominating performances out of Ty Lawson (21 points, 6 assists, NCAA title game record 8 steals), Tyler Hansbrough (18 points, 7 rebounds), Final Four MVP Wayne Ellington (19 points), and future superstar Ed Davis (11 points, 8 rebounds). Carolina won every tournament game by double digits, with their "closest" margin of victory being a 12 point win over Oklahoma in the Elite Eight. Carolina finishes the year 34-4, with their biggest defeat coming at the hands of Boston College, by just 7 points. This was in my opinion the greatest North Carolina team of all time. Just sheer dominance all season and it was great to see Hansbrough and Danny Green stay all four years and be rewarded with a national title. The Heels will put a vastly different team on the court next year with Hansbrough and Green graduating, and Lawson, Ellington, and Davis all potentially leaving early for the NBA, but that is something to worry about in October, until then the Heels are the best team in the nation!

As college basketball winds down, Major League Baseball had its Opening Day yesterday. I am a huge Baltimore Orioles fan and while the last 10 years have been terrible, one day that always seems to go the O's way is Opening Day. The Orioles defeated the New York Yankees 10-5 at Camden Yards, roughing up the Yankees marquee free agent acquisition pitcher CC Sabathia. The Orioles potent lineup showed how they can dominate as 2B Brian Roberts had three hits, CF Adam Jones had three hits and 2 RBIs, RF Nick Markakis had two hits and 2 RBIs, and even SS Cesar Izturis got in on the act with a HR that sealed the game late. The goal for the Orioles is a winning season, 82-80 would be perfectly fine with me. A quick blog note, starting Friday I will preview every single Orioles series here on CBH Sports.

The NHL and NBA playoffs are also quickly approaching. The Washington Capitals have clinched the Southeast Division and a playoff berth. I barely follow hockey but have seen the Capitals capture the DC area's interest so if anyone out there loves the Capitals and would like to write about their playoff run please contact me at christopher.hirsch@gmail.com. Once the NBA Playoffs start I will do a full preview of the entire playoffs and focus especially on the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

NCAA Championship Game - Detroit, Michigan

#2 Michigan State (31-6) vs. #1 North Carolina (33-4)

One more win Heels, that is all you need. However, that win will be the hardest win the Heels would have earned all season. They have to play a Michigan State team that is on fire right now, in Detroit, in front of a crowd that will be almost entirely pro Spartans. Don't let Carolina's 98-63 beat down of the Spartans in December at Ford Field fool you, this Spartans team, and the crowd will be much different. The Spartans were without C Goran Suton in the first meeting. While Suton made no impact in their Final Four win against Connecticut he can still be a dangerous player. Also, Spartans F Raymar Morgan was battling injuries at the time. He played a great game Saturday and could be a difference maker in the game tonight. Tonight's game will have a crowd of about 73,000, when the teams played in December the crowd was just 25,000. I really underestimated the affect the crowd would have on the Spartans on Satuday. They definitely pumped them up and helped them play beyond how I think they would have played anywhere else.

Carolina was never seriously challenged by Villanova on Saturday and they played their "C" game. Despite having a huge advantage in height they were outrebouned by the Wildcats. The Heels also missed 15 free throws, uncharacteristic for them. This is some cause for concern because they will have to play their "A" game tonight, but it also shows just how good Carolina is. They played an average game and still blew out a team that was one of the best teams in the country.

The makeup of these teams couldn't be more different. Michigan State prides itself on defense and uses defense to create offense. Carolina is all about running up and down and scoring at will. They play defense when they need to but it certainly isn't something they pride themselves on. The old adage is defense wins championships but I don't think that will be the case this year. I think it will be a hell of game and I can't wait to see the battles between Ty Lawson and Kalin Lucas, Tyler Hansbrough and Raymar Morgan, and Ed Davis and Goran Suton. Believe it or not I think Danny Green will make the difference in this one. Green had another good game Saturday and seems to be heating back up at just the right time. He will hit some key shots late and Carolina will win their sixth national championship. Roy Williams will have won with his players and erased the silly argument that his first national title was slightly tainted because he won with a crappy coach's guys. Hansbrough will leave college as a national champion, and 4-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, making him one of the greatest Heels to ever play. Ty Lawson will have his championship, and likely leave for the NBA, cementing himself as the greatest point guard in Carolina history. The storybook ending would be the Spartans winning in Detroit, but this feel good story won't have a happy ending.

Prediction: North Carolina 81, Michigan State 78

The 2009 Final Four - Detroit, Michigan

In just four short days the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Champion will be crowned. It all begins tomorrow night with the Final Four as Connecticut has a virtual road game against Michigan State, followed by North Carolina taking on Villanova. All signs point to the two best teams all season meeting in the championship, Carolina and UCONN. However, Michigan State and Villanova will be looking to spoil what many would call a dream matchup.

#2 Michigan State (30-6) vs. #1 Connecticut (31-4)

If this game was played anywhere but Detroit I believe UCONN would be an overwhelming favorite. Myself, along with many others were shocked when Michigan State handled Louisville the way that they did. Michigan State defeated Robert Morris, USC, defending national champion Kansas, and Lousiville to get to this point. They are not a high powered offensive team, but like most Big Ten teams pride themselves on their defense. Guard Kalin Lucas is their leading scorer on the year but their most key player in this game will likely be C Goran Suton. Suton was unstoppable against Louisville, he battled down low with the Cardinals bigs, but where he really made a difference was his outside shot. The Cardinals couldn't defend it and because of that they couldn't get stops when they needed them. The Spartans other major contributor is F Raymar Morgan. Morgan has been up and down all season so who knows what to expect out of him. Guards Chris Allen and Darrell Summers will be needed to match their average of 8 points a game for Michigan State to have a chance.

The Huskies dominated the first weekend, destroying Tennessee Chattanooga and Texas A & M. Last weekend was a little more challenging, Purdue gave them a game for about 30 minutes, and Missouri took them right to the end in the Elite Eight. Connecticut is especially dangerous because they can score, averaging 78.5 points a game, and also play tremendous defense, giving up just 63.7 points a game. The Huskies rotation pretty much goes seven deep so they rely on those guys a little more than maybe they would like. Guard A.J. Price is their leading scorer, while inside F Jeff Adrien, and their famous C Hasheem Thabeet grab about 10 rebounds per game. UCONN also get's scoring out of guards Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker.

The only edge I would give the Spartans in this game is the home court advantage and even that is overrated. The Spartans were destroyed at Ford Field earlier this season by North Carolina, so this theory that somehow the crowd will lift them in the Final Four seems silly to me. Plus, Ford Field is so huge that any crowd noise might be hard to even hear on the court. At guard I think Price, Dyson, and Walker are much better overall than Lucas, Allen, and Summers. I think Suton can give Thabeet some trouble with his outside game but Thabeet is a monster and his sheer size advantage could throw Suton for a loop. If you couldn't tell I like UCONN to win this game.

Prediction: Connecticut 75, Michigan State 64

#3 Villanova (30-7) vs. #1 North Carolina (32-4)

Villanova has gotten progressively more impressive as the Tournament has gone on. It looked like they might be one and done when American got up 14 on them in the first half in the First Round. The Wildcats recovered for the win, then blew out UCLA. Last weekend they decimated Duke, and then had a classic game with Big East rival Pittsburgh, ending with Scottie Reynolds shot to beat the buzzer. While the other three schools have made many recent trips to the Final Four, this is the Wildcats first Final Four since 1985. Villanova is a guard heavy team, led by Reynolds and his 15.2 points a game. Other dangerous guards on the Wildcats include Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, Dwayne Anderson, and Reggie Redding. Their only true inside presence is F Daunte Cunningham, who leads the team in scoring with 16.2 points a game, and rebounding with 7.4 rebounds a game.

As readers of this blog know I love the Tar Heels. Last year was bitterly disappointing and I am hoping for tomorrow night not to be a repeat of that. Carolina has been the most dominant team in the Tournament. They crushed Radford in the First Round without Ty Lawson, and struggled for a bit in the Second Round with LSU before pulling away. Last weekend they weren't tested at all in blowouts of Gonzaga and Oklahoma. The Heels are incredibly deep, with depth at just about every position. Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough are the team leaders but Carolina also has Danny Green, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Frasor, Tyler Zeller, Ed Davis, and Deon Thompson. Hansbrough leads the Heels in scoring and rebounding but Lawson is the player that stirs the drink. Lawson is such a fun player to watch and I believe his game will definitely translate to the NBA. This is an experienced team and the only one of the four teams with Final Four experience.

I don't want to jinx the Heels but I really like the matchups for them in this one. The main reason I think the Heels can dominate the Wildcats is the depth the Heels can throw at them down low. Villanova outlasted Pittsburgh and DeJuan Blair, but outside of Blair Pitt didn't have much else to send at Cunningham. Carolina is going to wear him down with Zeller, Hansbrough, Thompson, and Davis. Villanova's guards make me nervous, as Carolina struggled with teams that had guards that could score and force the issue. However, Lawson looks healthy and has been playing tremendous, Ellington has been on fire for the past two months, and Green finally got off the snide with an impressive game against the Sooners. Carolina and UCONN have been the two best teams all year, a lot like 2005 when Carolina and Illinois met for the National Championship. It just seems like it is meant to happen.

Prediction: North Carolina 82, Villanova 69

Final Four - North Carolina (32-4)

How They Got There

After a worrisome 0-2 start in ACC play, the Heels won 13 of their last 14 conference games to take the ACC regular season title. Playing without their best player, PG Ty Lawson, the Heels lost to Florida State in the Semi-Finals of the ACC Tournament. The Heels were awarded a #1 seed in the South Region. They opened against #16 Radford and were once again without Lawson. Even without Lawson, Carolina still put 101 and cruised to a 101-58 victory. Next up for the Heels was the #8 seed, SEC regular season champion LSU Tigers. Minutes before the game it was decided that Lawson would make his return and start. Early on it looked to be a bad decision as Lawson struggled and then appeared to re aggravate the toe injury. LSU went on a blistering run to start the second half and the game was tied late. However, Lawson seemed to become magically healed and took over the game, leading Carolina to an 84-70 win. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight proved to be easy games for the Tar Heels. They dispatched #4 seed Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 in easy fashion, 98-77. Lawson scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half and Deon Thompson was the only starter that didn’t finish in double figures. Next up was the #2 seed Oklahoma Sooners. It was a chance for Tyler Hansbrough to face off with Blake Griffin. Griffin played well, unfortunately for him none of his other teammates showed up. The Sooners hit just 2 of 19 from three point land and the Heels cruised once again, winning 72-60. Danny Green was the surprising star, scoring 18. Lawson led the Heels with 19, while Hansbrough only contributed 8, a sign that this team has come a long way from relying on Hansbrough.

Key Players

The obvious ones are Hansbrough and Lawson but some of the overlooked guys will have to play well. Guys like Green, Thompson, Ed Davis, Wayne Ellington, and Bobby Frasor. If all of those guys struggle then the Heels will be in trouble, no matter what type of games Lawson or Hansbrough are having. Ellington has been on a tear the last few months and when he is hitting his jumper the Tar Heels are unbeatable. Green had been struggling for a while but seemed to break out against Oklahoma. He is another guy that can provide energy by hitting jumpers and getting rebounds. He is also one of the better defender’s Carolina has. Frasor is a pretty good shooter and can hit threes when needed. He also is a senior leader and provides an adequate replacement for when Lawson has to rest. Thompson and Davis are other guys where some games they give you a lot and some games they don’t. Davis has improved rapidly since the start of the season and could be playing his last games in a Carolina uniform (if he is foolish). These guys along with Hansbrough could potentially overwhelm Thabeet should they meet Connecticut in the Final.

However, all of that being said the biggest key is Lawson, if he doesn’t play well the Tar Heels chances of wining go down exponentially.

Why They Will Win It All

The reasons are numerous. Firstly, without question they have been the best team in the nation all year. Carolina raced out to a 13-0 start, including a 35 point thrashing of Michigan State at Ford Field. The fast start had people wondering if Carolina could finish undefeated. While that didn’t end up happening, the largest loss Carolina suffered all season was by 7 to Boston College. Secondly, they will not be overwhelmed by the big time atmosphere. Their main contributors were all at this point last year and have played in just about every big game situation imaginable. Finally, Carolina has more weapons than any other team. Hansbrough has an off night, Lawson can take over or vice versa. Those two struggle, then Green, Thompson, Davis, and Ellington can all score and pick up the slack. Carolina has only one player that is in their rotation that you don’t really have to guard, and that is little used freshman point guard Larry Drew II. Every other player they throw at you is a weapon on the offensive end.

Why They Won’t

One word, defense. The lack of defense has been the only thing keeping the Tar Heels from being called one of the greatest teams of all time. The Heels give up 72.1 points a game, much more than their fellow Final Four teams. Their Final Four opponent, Villanova gives up 66.9 a game, while Michigan State and Connecticut only give up 62.7 and 63.7 respectively. The Heels have really missed the injured Marcus Ginyard, who is their best on the ball defender.

The other potential reason is their head coach Roy Williams. Williams is a great coach but he has a history of shrinking in big games. Thankfully, the Heels aren’t playing his former Kansas team so Roy won’t have to remember that he coaches the Tar Heels now. Carolina was woefully unprepared to play Kansas last year and that goes on the coach. If Roy can get this championship he can really shut up the critics, as he would have won with his players, unlike 2005.