DugoutZone Digest

It's A Small World, Brooks

2011-10-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

The ultimate honor to a living legend was bestowed upon Brooks Robinson yesterday as the city of Baltimore celebrated the unveiling of a remarkable statue in Brooks Robinson Plaza just across the street from Camden Yards. The Governor, the Senator, the Artisan, the Philanthropist and the home-grown sports fan turned actor all gave wonderful tributes to the humble man from Little Rock, Arkansas that Baltimore has claimed as their own. By the time Brooksie began his acceptance speech there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd.

I had the pleasure of meeting Brooks Robinson in 1993 when he made his first appearance at the DugoutZone while it was still in the Chatham Mall. We have gone on to forge a great relationship over the years. While sitting and listening at the ceremonies yesterday it seemed like I have known Brooks ever since his childhood in Little Rock. In some ways just maybe I have!

On a recent trip to Little Rock to spend time with family after the passing of a favorite uncle I was able to visit the boyhood home of Brooks on Dennison St. I was amazed at how close it is to where my grandfathers corner grocery store used to be. I couldn't help but wonder if Brooks had ever wandered into the store after a youth league victory to grab a pop or an ice cream.

I drove by famous Little Rock Central High School where my cousin went to school two years behind Brooks. I thought about Janice Ward's story (Janice recently called the store to ask how to send in an item for Brooks to sign). Janice and I have since had some great telephone conversations. She was one year behind Brooks at Central High and recounts as to what a great guy Brooks was as a student there. She remembers Brooks always shouting down the hallways to say hello and that he always had time to befriend anyone and everyone. Janice now lives in North Carolina. On my visit last month I found out that Janice's husband was my cousins pastor in Little Rock before retiring.

Summer vacation for the Hubata's always meant a drive from Chicago to Little Rock to visit my mothers family. Fair Park was always one of my favorite stops in Little Rock. In addition to historical Ray Winder Field where the Arkansas Travelers played AA baseball, the park was home to amusement rides and many more attractions to captivate my interest. On my recent trip I stopped by Ray Winder Field and wondered how many home runs bounced off cars on the new interstate and whether Brooks ever hit one out the year he played for the San Antonio Missons.

Bill Valentine was an American League umpire from 1963 through 1968. He went on to be the President and General Manager of the Travellers. I talked with Bill when I was in Little Rock looking for a Brooks anecdote or two. Though Bill didn't care much for most of the Orioles (I'm sure he had his share of run-ins with The Earl), he certainly had great things to say about Brooks. He told me the story when he was behind home plate with Brooks at bat. Two low & inside pitches were thrown that Bill called strikes. Though the O's dugout was howling at Bill in unison, Brooks didn't say a word. Instead he headed towards the dugout. When Bill told Brooks "that was only two strikes - where are you going"? - Brooks just said "Shucks, Mr Valentine, I am going to get my sand wedge so that I might be able to hit the next one"

There were many nice people in Little Rock eager to talk about Brooks. Don Ernst, a Central Arkansas baseball historian in his own right gave me many wonderful leads. My biggest find however was at the Little Rock Central Library. There I was able to view years of microfiche of the Arkansas Democrat newspaper. Rodney Worthington, my uncle who passed, was a photographer and reporter for the Democrat. It was there that in addition to numerous stories about Little Rocks favorite son including a twelve day run of excerpts of Brooks' "Putting It All Together" book release I was able to find the Holy Grail.

The rules in 1955 stated that a major league baseball club could not sign a high school player until after his graduation. Though Brooks had already decided that he would sign with the Orioles the actual contract could not be completed until after graduation day. So it was on May 29, 1955 that the official photo was published - Brooks boarding a plane with O's chief scout Arthur Ehlers headed to Baltimore for the first time - photo by Rodney Worthington!

At the end of the ceremony yesterday I realized that it was not only myself that felt this lifelong connection with Brooks Robinson - it was everyone in attendance and everyone that Brooks has touched. As the man from Glen Burnie shouted yesterday, "We love you Brooks!"

Brooks Robinson will appear at the DugoutZone this coming Saturday, October 29th. Brooks will greet fans and sign autographs from noon until 1:30 pm.

The Most Famous Softball Player in History

2011-09-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

That is how Time magazine described softball pitcher extraordinaire and modern pop culture icon JENNIE FINCH. Until her retirement in 2010, Jennie played softball from the age of five and became one of the most recognizable figures in women's sports.

In addition to captaining her high school softball team, Jennie also led La Mirada High School teams in both basketball and volleyball. From there, Jennie went on to becoming a three-time All American at the University of Arizona. Her career culminated in the 2004 Olympic games where her 2-0 record helped carry the USA team to the Gold Medal. Jennie also helped the 2008 team win silver.

Jennie retired from competitive softball in 2010 to spend more time with family. Her devotion to the game of softball has not stopped however. 2008 was the last year softball (and baseball) were included in the Olympic summer games. Jennie is currently leading the crusade to have the sport reinstated to the 2016 Olympics.

Jennie Finch will be appearing at the DugoutZone in Ellicott City, MD on Thursday, October 6, 2011. Jennie will greet fans and sign autographs from 7pm until 8pm. For more information on the appearance go to http://www.dugoutzone.com/.

Upon Jennie's retirement my hometown newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, stated in an editorial "She leaves with a spotless reputation, an intent to keep promoting softball, and the knowledge that she has inspired other girls and women who play for the love of the game." The 21st Century has brought us many recognizable female sports stars including Mia Hamm, Hope Solo, Danica Patrick, Venus and Serena Williams, Anika Sorenstam and Paula Creamer just to name a few. Who is your most famous female athlete of all time? Your comments are welcome!

coming soon - "It's a Small World, Brooks"

Between the Lines

2011-09-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

What a Win! From kick-off until final whistle the Baltimore Ravens laid one on their division rivals. Though they say that it is never quite that good on one side and never quite that bad on the other, the following is true:

* The Ravens are improved at EVERY position. If it is going to take this team 3-4 weeks to "gel" the rest of the league better look out.

* The Steelers just may have stood pat one too many times. This is the exact same team as last season with few major changes since their last Super Bowl victory. The Packers exposed them last year. The Ravens helped continue the bleeding to start the current campaign. Let's hope they don't stumble upon the fountain of youth until after retirement.

* Add 4-0 in opening starts to Joe Flacco's resume. All you naysayers will be eating Raven by the time Joe Cools' career is over. Better start apologizing now so that he wants to stay in Baltimore for many years to come!

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There have been a lot of Top XXX lists bandied about this year including the NFL Network's Top 100 current NFL players. Even the Ravens compiled their own Top 50 Players of all time list.

Original Raven Matt Stover came in 4th on the list, behind Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden and Ed Reed. That puts him in the deserved company of three future Hall of Famers. Not only was Matt the longest tenured Raven who came over from the original Brownies, he was our most effective weapon for much of the Super Bowl run in 2000. Combined with one of the greatest shut-down defenses in NFL history he single-handedly put up enough points to make the run possible.

In their respect for the player the Ravens added Matt to the roster at the beginning of the year so that he could officially retire a Raven. On November, 20th Matt will be formally inducted into the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor. Will there be an invitation to Canton?

Matt Stover will appear at the DugoutZone on Thursday, Septemer 15th. Matt will greet fans and sign autographs from 7pm until 8pm. For more info go to www.dugoutzone.com

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Speaking of the DugoutZone, Earl Weaver will be appearing there on Saturday, November 17th. Earl had the pleasure of managing one of every one's all time favorites Brooks Robinson. While in town I plan to get a few comments from the Earl of Baltimore regarding Brooksie in preparation for my sojourn to his boyhood home in Little Rock, Arkansas. Look for this and more in an upcoming DugoutZone Digest!

How Important is Game #1?

2011-09-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Yes - there are a lot of great match ups to kick-off the 2011 NFL season. Green Bay vs Saints, Colts vs Texans, Jets vs Cowboys and even Giants vs Redskins are all either intriguing or at least a long term rivalry. None however stand up to the Ravens vs Steelers game this Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

Was it a stroke of scheduling genius or another example of the Ravens getting Rogerized? I think it just might be a little of both. Let's look at the positives:

* First games of the season often bring surprises. With the long lockout leaving less time for preparation, this season should produce more upsets than usual. Never mind the fact that the Ravens seem to be receiving a home field advantage when it comes to point spreads. If the BlackBirds come away victorious on Sunday, it will be deemed a David vs Goliath win in the press.

* This 2011 Ravens team IS improved. Even with saying goodbye to long-time favorites, this 2011 Baltimore football club got better at every position (including offensive line). It may take a few weeks for this years squad to run on all cylinders, but the changes made may be just as much of a problem for the Iron City defense in Game #1 than it is for our offense.

* What better two teams of warriors could be lined up on a football field ready to do battle on the 10th anniversary of 9/11? When these two teams play it is no holds barred and take no prisoners. Every football fan in the world loves to watch the Ravens & Steelers play. Hopefully the national TV guys get this one right and broadcast it coast to coast!

Season Openers typically do not a season make. This is exactly where I think that the scheduling brain trust may have thrown the Ravens a curve ball.

* This division grudge match is always the highlight game of the season. That spotlight typically comes in November. The season has fully given way to football weather. Previous wins and losses add to the urgency of a victory. Division championships and wild card berths are more than a pre-season dream. Crunch time is upon us! This Sunday, the Ravens faithful will fill the stadium in shorts and tee shirts, fresh from their last trip to the shore, hon.

* The media. The last six months have been spent listening to the talking heads take listeners calls about how our QB can't beat Big Ben, can't beat the Steelers, can't win the big one, blah, blah, blah. Never mind the fact that the same QB is now 4-3 in PLAYOFF games in his first three season - all on the road! Can you imagine the bonehead calls that will light up the air if the Ravens lose another to the yellow and black?

* We need a W more than the Steeltowners. The other guys will brush it off and go about their business - just like last season when Ben was on the sidelines for the first four games. Another loss to our #1 Rivals right out of the gate could certainly add pressure to a team that has fallen short the last three seasons.

With all of that said, let's play some football. Let's cheer on our team. Let our voices drown out the opponents. Let our colors erase any glimpse of the yellow towel. Let's win!

Over the past month Marylanders have survived:
* an earthquake
* a hurricane
* tornado warnings
* floods

So, bring on them Steelers!

The Ravens Have Depth Once Again

2010-08-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

After the Franchise QB and the big play skill positions, the most important thing to an NFL teams road to success is their ability to overcome injuries. Preventing injuries is impossible and those teams that manage to escape them do so solely with a leprecaun at their side. The big trick is to overcome the inevitable injuries and the only way to do that is with superior depth.

The last two seasons for the Ravens have been the perfect case in point. In 2008, the Ravens had phenomenal success marching to the AFC Championship game with a rookie quarterback and rookie head coach. Last season they managed to push their way into the 2nd round of the playoffs even after losing their two starting cornerbacks! The reason is not solely the Ray Lewis conditioning regimen which has been a staple of the team since its inception. The real answer is the tremendous team depth the Ravens continuosly manage to fill their 53 man roster with.

The 2010 team looks to be just as deep as teams past. The battle is on for every position on the final roster. Though I do not have season opening tickets for the person who correctly predicts the opening day roster, I do have a challenge to lay down. Let me know how many players from Ravens camp that are let go on final cut day and then find themselves on another NFL team within seven days. A prize will go out to the winner!

For starters, lets look at the automatic keepers by position:

QB:
Joe Flacco
Marc Bulger

RB:
Ray Rice
Willis McGahee
Jalen Pamele

FB:
Le'Ron McClain

WR:
Derrick Mason
Anquan Boldin
Mark Clayton
Donte Stallworth (yes, even with the 8 week injury I believe he will be carried)
Demetrius Williams

TE:
Todd Heap
Ed Dickson
Dennis Pitta

O-LINE:
Matt Birk
Chris Chester
Ben Grubbs
Marshall Yanda
Michael Oher
Jared Gaither

D-LINE
Trevor Pryce
Kelly Gregg
Terrence Cody
Haloti Ngata
Paul Kruger
Terrell Suggs

LB;
Ray Lewis
Tavares Gooden
Dannell Ellerbe
Jameel McClain
Jarret Johnson
Antwan Barnes

Safety:
Ed Reed
Dawan Landry
Tom Zbikowski
Haruki Nakamura

Corner:
Fabian Washington
Lardarius Webb
Chris Carr
Cary Williams (out for 4 games suspension!)

Punter:
Sam Koch

Kicker:
Shayne Graham

Special Teams:
Morgan Cox (long snapper)
Prescott Burgess
Edgar Jones
Marcus Smith (fills 5th WR role until Stallworth comes back)

Yep - that only leaves seven more guys and someone will have to take the place of Cary Williams at corner until he returns from suspension leaving only six more spots! I would assume that Ozzie will be watching the cut lists intently for any cornerback help but I am going to proceed as if we will play our hand as its stands. My final seven:

Prince Miller
Cory Redding
Ramon Harewood
Ken Hamlin
Oneil Cousins
K.J. Gerard
Bryan Mattison (or Tony Moll)

The surprise here of course is no Troy Smith. With a former two-time Pro Bowler as a back-up at QB, we just may try to get through the season with just carrying two quarterbacks. My guess is that there could be a little trade activity after the final pre-season game but I am calling in the above list as is (with the coaches son taking the last spot).

My prediction is that 7 former Ravens will appear on other NFL rosters within seven days of final cuts. What do you think?

Rick Hubata
DugoutZone Digest

The Middle Linebacker

2010-07-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

The middle linebacker position to a football team's defense is the equivalent to the quarterback of the team's offense. The position can be likened to the catcher of a baseball team, the point guard in basketball and the center in hockey. All the good ones are typically the heart and soul of the team. They become the "coach" on the field of play. They lead both by encouragement and example.

With the upcoming DugoutZone signing with Baltimore Ravens RAY LEWIS in August, I thought that this would be a great time to begin a discussion of who is the best NFL middle linebacker ever. This question always raises considerable debate as the NFL has been blessed with many great ones over the years.

To generate some comments here, I would like to begin with my list of the ten best middle linebackers of all time. I have chosen the DugoutZone Digest 10 from the eleven Hall of Famers who were true middle linebackers their entire career, three current or recently retired future hall of Famers and three young up and comers:

The Hall of Famers:
Bill George
Joe Schmidt
Ray Nitschke
Sam Huff
Dick Butkus
Willie Lanier
Jack Lambert
Nick Buoniconti
Derrick Thomas
Harry Carson
Mike Singletary

The Future Hall of Famers:
Junior Seau
Ray Lewis
Brian Urlacher

The Up and Comers:
Jon Beason
DeMeco Ryans
Patrick Willis

The criteria I have used to whittle this list of storied defenders down to the ten best is not only their statistics, but also the impact that they have had on their team. The amount of leadership exhibited along with the sheer fear put into their opponents was just as important as how many total tackles made. All of these individuals spent most, if not all, of their career with the same team - placing their mark of intensity on the entire defense. My ten finalist are:

Ray Nitschke - He WAS the Green Bay Packers defense.
Sam Huff - He helped to refine the mlb position in the media glare of NYC.
Willie Lanier - His Chiefs teams went from perennial losers to consistent winners.
Dick Butkus - There was a reason no one wanted to play Da Bears - it was Dick Butkus.
Jack Lambert - He gave his heart, soul and front teeth to the Steelers.
Derrick Thomas - HOF career cut short by tragedy.
Mike Singletary - One picture of "the look" tells the story.
Junior Seau - Helped to change the Chargers from a scoring machine to a winner.
Ray Lewis - Mr. Raven for fourteen years and going strong.
Patrick Willis - Playing for Mike Singletary may make this youngster one of the best.

There you have our starting point. Though there may be some disagreement on who should have made the list and who should have been left off as a result, surely we can all agree that "the best ever" is on the list. Now let's all start the discussion to pare these greats down to five finalists for the title of Best Linebacker Ever!

"Don't fire the messenger"

1964 - The Year Oriole Magic Began

2010-07-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

It was 1966 and the upstart Baltimore Orioles were heavy underdogs in the World Series. The National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers were led by future Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. The Birds were given little chance.

The O's jumped on Drysdale early in Game 1 and went on to win 5-2. Then Orioles Magic began. Our own future Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer threw a gem in Game 2 - beating Koufax with a complete game shutout! The Orange & Black headed back to Baltimore with new found hope.

Game 3 featured a match-up between 2 young hurlers. Claude Osteen got the start for the Dodgers and Wally Bunker took the mound for the Birds. The pitching mound had already been dubbed "Bunker Hill" after Wally's stellar rookie season in 1964. A solo home run by O's center fielder Paul Blair in the 5th was all Wally would need as he went on to a three-hit complete game shutout. His masterpiece was all the Birds needed to propel them to an incredible sweep of Da Bums when Dave McNally finished off the Series with yet another complete game
1-0 shutout. The Dodgers pitching was very good. The Orioles were better!

Wally Bunker is making the rounds in Baltimore this weekend including a stop at the DugoutZone on Sunday. His appearance started me thinking about the construction of the great Orioles teams of the 60's & 70's. Wally Bunker was the first of many great young pitchers to arrive in Baltimore. He turned in a remarkable rookie season in 1964 - going 19-5 and finishing 8th in the AL MVP balloting. Nine year veteran teammate Brooks Robinson produced his finest complete season in a remarkable 22 year career and won the '64 AL MVP Award.

Two years later the Orioles would add more young pitching talent (Palmer, McNally) to a solid nucleus and a key aquisition in Frank Robinson. That core formed the most dominant franchise in baseball for the next ten years. This model of young talented pitching built around a core of solid veteran position players solidified by a key acquisition has become the blueprint for successful teams. Can someone send a copy to the Yard?

Occasional Ramblings on All Things Sports

2009-02-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

This is the first in what may prove to be many posts regarding this writers thoughts on all things relating to the local (and sometimes national) sports world.

My favorite story line from Super Bowl XLIII: 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year goes from potential SB MVP to potential goat. No wonder that all Ravens fans and many others thought Ed Reed deserved the Defensive POY honors. Think there might have been a reason that so dominating of a player was cut three times?

One of my favorite National League prospects comes to the Orioles to help form what may turn out to be one of the best outfields in baseball. Felix Pie will finally get his chance. An outfield of Markakis, Jones & Pie already makes the pitching staff look better.

Post AFC Championship thoughts:
* What an incredible year for the Ravens and 1st year coach Harbaugh.
* Big Ben versus Joe Cool will highlight the best NFL rivalry for years to come.
* Joe Flacco will lead the Baltimore collectibles market for those years and beyond.

"Don't fire the messenger!"