Then Along Came Jones

Adam Jones, the Orioles lone representative in last nights All-Star game, delivered the game winning RBI in the 8th inning with a sacrifice fly to right field scoring the Tigers Curtis Granderson from 3rd base.

On Winning Baseball

In 27 games over the past 30 days the Baltimore Orioles are 15-12, 9-6 vs. NL teams and 6-6 vs. AL teams.

Over the same time period, the team ERA is 9th in the AL at 4.24. O's pitching has issued the 6th fewest walks and 4th fewest HR during the stretch.

The offense was 5th in BA, Runs, Walks and Number of Pitches. They were 12th in HR and Slugging.

The leather was 10th in Fielding Pct and committed more errors than all but two AL teams.

So, what to make of a winning record over the course of 30 days? 15 of the 27 games against the NL East, who, as a division, spent the month of June in a funk, was a big help and is also where the 3 wins to the plus side came from.

However, winning 6 of 12 from AL teams, including 3 of 7 on a west coast trip made the last 30 days prior to the All-Star break look promising. The O's had a winning stretch in interleague play and followed it up with a break even stretch rather than a losing stretch.

The hitting and defense, although not performing poorly, has performed better in the past and it is not unreasonable to hope for better in the 2nd half. The bullpen has performed well thus far and for the first season in quite a few, they are not "cooked" already. The starting pitching has been competitive over the last month and here's hoping the youngsters continue to get hitters out.

A little rest over the All-Star break and onto July, August and September, where we find out if these O's really are Major Leaguers.

Orioles Manager Earl Weaver - Uncut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl-4FSRYagc

Wow, this is priceless. Go Earl!

Orioles Manager Dave Trembley - Uncut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EzNlTb2eT8

Nice to see some fire from the skipper.

I wish Peter Angelos cared this much...

On Nelson Munz Moments

After losing 8 consecutive games to the Red Sox and trailing 10-1 in the 7th, the O's scored 5 in the 7th and 5 in the 8th to beat the Sox 11-10.

On Geography

The Orioles took an 8-20 road record into Philadelphia over the weekend and improved it to 11-20, evening their June record at 9-9.

Perhaps the sweep merely highlights the Phillies struggles at home (13-22) this season. But perhaps, given Philadelphia's proximity to Baltimore, the young Orioles did not realize they were on a road trip. The O's are 21-17 in Baltimore (3-0 in Philladelphia).

The O's head next to "Philadelphia" to play a 3 game set with the Florida Marlins. Feed 'em some cheesesteaks, skip. Promise them a trip to see "Independance Hall". Or "CheerLeaders".

Nolan Reimold is hitting .287 and slugging .546 with 8 HR in 108 AB. It is far too early to declare the rookie a stud, but he's playing one on TV.

On Physics

...Einstein had said, "You know, once you start calculating (with abstract mathematics) you shit yourself up before you know it."

But suddenly, in 1912, he developed a fondness for this mess. Perhaps he saw darkly what Heisenberg would see very clearly: the 20th century would have a love affair with shit.

The century proved this in every field, from art to math to science to war to politics to entertainment to sex. The century loved nothing so much as watching someone foul himself in public, as long as that someone could sell the spectacle as a transcendent event.

- Miles Mathis Death by Mathematics

Stan's Amazing Sand Shot

On Shoes

The "other shoe" hasn't dropped yet. Today, Brad Bergesen tossed a complete game 5 hitter allowing 2 earned runs in 112 pitches against Atlanta.

Bergesen now has 32 innings pitched allowing 6 earned runs for a 1.69 ERA in his last 4 starts.

REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: 06/13/09 - "Radio Interview"

When you’re en route to and from church this weekend, I encourage you to tune into the Sunday Morning Magazine program on 1320 WGET.
I’m the guest of host Max Stevens on the weekly public affairs show, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
We chat about ongoing Gettysburg Borough business - - - the beat that I cover for this newspaper.
No, it was not difficult to fill the half-hour program.
We talk about a Sunshine Law suit filed against the municipality, ordinances, taxes, capital projects, and among other issues, borough finances.
It all adds up to an exciting program that you don’t want to miss.
But don’t skip church.
~ Scot A. Pitzer, Times Staff Reporter.

On Youth

The O's return to Baltimore tonight after completing a dismal 6 game west coast road trip to Seattle and Oakland. The O's left for the west coast at 5 games under .500 and return at 9 games under. They scored 10 runs in the 6 games. O's starting pitching managed a total of 4 2/3 IP in the 3 contests in Oakland.

The O's managed a 14-15 month of May despite turning over nearly the entire starting rotation. The optimism generated in May by the young starters from AAA, the promotion of Matt Wieters to the starting catcher spot and the hot start by rookie left fielder Nolan Reimold, did not even get a chance to dissipate. The 1-5 start to June on the west coast simply crushed it.

Considering the O's penchant for tanking mid to late season, this trip is even more the disappointing. Yet, the O's are a younger team now than they were even a month ago. The question is: Are they resilient?

060609: Reporters Notebook: "Wiffleball Recap"

My loyal readers were stunned last weekend when they opened up the newspaper, and did not see a Reporters Notebook authored by Scot Pitzer.
They wanted to know who won the annual Wiffleball Bash at Mentzer Field on Memorial Day, but were unable to find results.
I tried to explain to my fans that it was my weekend to submit the video notebook, which is available on the Gettysburg Times web edition, and that I gave the wiffleball game full coverage. No one wanted to hear it.
“We don’t get the internet where we live,” a Mount Tabor resident told me.
One member of Wenksville United Methodist Church nearly sobbed, explaining that they drove down to Salim’s Mini-Mart in Arendtsville to pick up their Saturday newspaper, just to find out who won the game.
“I almost asked Salim for a refund,” the disappointed gentleman said.
Additionally, I received an anonymous letter in the newsroom this week, written by an individual claiming to be a “grandmother from Upper Adams.” She doesn’t get the Internet either where she lives, so I apologize.
For those that were unable to watch the video notebook, here is a recap: the Nieces & Nephews team won 18-17; Uncle Jeff chased a foul fly-ball down Grandma’s hill and nearly ended up in the Susquehanna River; Jamie Pitzer pitched a complete game; Gabe May played outstanding defense; and I clubbed two home runs.
“They’ll be talking about it for years,” said Umpire Pappy Mentzer.
Indeed, it was an inspirational showdown that will be forever etched in the chronicles of time.
~ Scot A. Pitzer, Times Staff Reporter

06/03/09 - "Hibbs acepts head position in York"

http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/articles/2009/06/03/sports/doc4a26654864150561283228.txt

BY Adam Michael - - - Times Sports Writer
Published: Wedesday, June 3, 2009 8:07 AM EDT

Hours after Tim Hibbs resigned from his position as head coach of the Biglerville High School football team Monday, he was named as the new head coach at William Penn in York.
William Penn athletic director Chaz Green announced the move following an emergency York City school board meeting, Monday evening.
“We saw all the experience he had, at the community college level, a Northern University assistant and with Gettysburg College,” Green said. “He had great references from former players.”Green also sited a passionate interview as a strong point for Hibbs, who was one of “eight or nine” candidates.
“He seemed like he had chills in his spine, anticipating working with the kids,” Green said.
As the head coach of the Canners for the last five years after replacing Tom Waranavage prior to the 2004 season, the 38-year-old Hibbs finished his career with the Canners with a 24-27 record. That record included a 7-4 slate in 2008 that included a share of the YAIAA-3 championship, marking the first time Biglerville captured a division title in 37 years.
The Canners followed up the regular season title with their first-ever District 3 playoff appearance, a 42-14 loss at Lancaster Catholic.Now replacing Matt Ortega, the popular and successful former head coach at York, Hibbs will hope to extend the success of a program that went 20-4 over the last two seasons, and 37-18 over the course of five seasons.
“It’s tough to leave Biglerville obviously,” Hibbs said. “It’s a place that’s been very good to me and it’s my alma mater. I was joking around today that Upper Adams is the place where I will be buried. I just hope it’s not in the next couple of days.”
Hibbs said Monday’s resignation followed by the news breaking Tuesday, was emotional.
“It’s tough because you grow an attachment to (the kids),” Hibbs said. “We don’t have kids and we always said our kids are our players and students at the school. Most of my time there is spent teaching. It’s hard to leave some of the students, too."
“I reiterated they needed to continue down the path that we’ve got them on," Hibbs continued. "Talking to the players, they started to understand and they knew why we were doing it. Every conversation ended today with a smile and a handshake.”
When Ortega left for Coatesville High School earlier this spring, Hibbs threw his name in the hat.
The same reasons he was so appreciated at Biglerville were also logical sticking points for those that selected him for his new coaching job in York.
Hibbs graduated from high school at Biglerville, but his football track record extends well beyond Canner Nation.
Hibbs earned a spot on the Temple University football team following high school before an injury in his senior year forced him into a role as undergraduate assistant with the Owls.
The Biglerville native has since made stops at Fort Scott Junior College in Kansas, Southern Illinois University, Gettysburg College, Ohio Northern University and has served in positions including defensive coordinator, strength coach, linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.
Green said Hibbs’ certification as a strength and lifting coach also boosted his resume. The coach’s widely popular and effective Speed, Agility, Quickness program at Biglerville has helped all athletic programs become more competitive.
“I don’t care what level you are at or what sport you play, strength and conditioning has to be the spine of what you’re doing,” Hibbs said. “You can offshoot and change things here or there, but you have to have a formal program that everyone tailors to their needs, but has as a consistent philosophy.”
While at Biglerville, Hibbs created a program for at-risk students and also has experience with alternative education programs.
Moving from a small-town Class AA school to the urban Class AAAA William Penn will provide initial cultural challenges. There is also a stark contrast in demographics; at Biglerville, 93.6 percent of its students are white according to the most recent census. In a 2008 report of William Penn’s 1,480 students, 714 were black and 521 were hispanic while only 220 were white.Hibbs, a white coach, is confident his previous experiences will help him earn his new players’ trust.
Among his many experiences, he learned a lot from Ted Ginn Sr., while helping out at Glennville High School in Cleveland where he worked with Troy Smith and Ted Ginn Jr.
“I remember picking up kids from the airport that had a shopping bag full of stuff,” Hibbs said of some of his toughest cases. “The kids in York are like kids from everywhere. They’re faced with the same problems and have similar things to overcome. They live in a different environment, but the parents want their kids to be successful the same way people want their kids here to be successful."
“We’re all people and I can communicate with people," said Hibbs. "You have to communicate, build respect, show you love and care for them and in return they’ll do what we need them to do. That’s the philosophy I’ve had here and the philosophy I’ve always used. That’s the philosophy I’ll take with me there.”
Hibbs believes that passing along good values to kids who are working hard to succeed will be one of the most important parts of his job.
“When you’re brought up on Upper Adams values like I’ve been, you’ve got a chance to succeed in anything you do regardless of where you’ve been,” Hibbs said. “Because of some of the mentors in Upper Adams, I’ve been able to pass that on and gotten a personal feeling of satisfaction.”
Hibbs said that things haven’t progressed far enough to comment on his future coaching staff. He met with Green on Tuesday to begin laying out plans. Most importantly, he hoped to set up a meeting with his new team.
His wife, Stephanie Hibbs, will remain as a teacher in Biglerville and Hibbs said he will “pursue a faculty position at York High.”
“My wife is still going to teach at Biglerville and I’m not moving,” Hibbs said. “I’m just going to become Biglerville’s No. 1 fan instead of being a part of it.”
When reached Monday, the former Canner coach did not want to reveal his new position with York in part because of professional courtesy, and also in an effort to avoid a media frenzy prior to the Biglerville High School graduation ceremonies later today.“
The focus needs to be on the class of 2009, not me,” Hibbs said. “The only reason I teach is my belief in getting these kids graduated. Coaching is just an extension of the classroom. Without commencement, nothing I do really means anything.”
One of the Canners who will graduate today, Parker Showers, said it was sad to see his coach leave, but he was hopeful he’d have continued success at William Penn.
“What he’s done for our program, I can’t imagine what he could do for York High,” Showers said.
Adam Michael can be reached at amichael@gburgtimes.com.

06/03/09: "Hibbs Will Be Missed in Canner Country"

BY SCOT ANDREW PITZER — Times Staff Reporter

Biglerville High is losing a true Canner with the departure of Tim Hibbs, the five-year head football coach who is vacating the position to take over the reigns of the William Penn Bearcats.

Don’t believe me?

When Hibbs gets a paper cut, he bleeds black and gold.

The first real conversation that I had with Hibbs was an illustration of his passion for the Upper Adams community.

Hibbs was serving dual roles at Biglerville High School in the winter of 2004-05, as head football coach and athletic director. At the time, I was the Upper Adams beat reporter for the Gettysburg Times.

The student body was dealing with a tragic death, and before word even spread to this newsroom, Hibbs gave me a call. He knew I’d be covering the story.

“Remember,” he said, “keep your Canner hat on in this situation.”

From one Biglerville alum to another, Hibbs’ words struck a chord. After all, this is a guy who gets goose bumps anytime he hears the school’s Alma Mater.

His passion for Biglerville High was evident in the way he led the Canner football program — mired in mediocrity for decades — back to respectability the last five years.

Just a few short months after leading the Canners to their first division title in 37 years, Hibbs is leaving Apple Town to take over the William Penn football program in York. The career move became official Monday night with a unanimous vote by the York City School Board. With mixed emotions, Canner Nation bids farewell to Hibbs. The school is losing a grid iron leader, but with his impressive resume, the sky is the limit.

Biglerville finished 2008 with a 7-4 record, marking back-to-back winning seasons (6-4 in 2007). It was the first time the football team put together consecutive winning seasons since, well, the Stone Age.

Hibbs took over the program in 2004, simply because it was the right fit at the right time.

He didn’t have to come to coach here. With his previous coaching experience at Fort Scott Junior College in Kansas, Southern Illinois University, Gettysburg College and Ohio Northern University, taking the job at Biglerville seemed like the bottom rung on Hibbs’ career ladder.

He didn’t think so.

If anyone was going to put Canner football back on the map, it was going to be Hibbs. He was eight-months-old when the Canners won their last division crown, the Blue Mountain League title in Nov. 1971. It was time to bring another title to Apple Town.

The transition was rough at first, because winning was so new. After all, this is a program that won only 29 games during the entire span of the 1990s.

Hibbs added teams like Mount Carmel and Governor Mifflin to Biglerville’s schedule, to show the youngsters what it was like to compete against established programs. He was the perfect fit for a town that was starved for winner, because he hates to lose.

Hibbs took every loss personally, even when the Canners were beaten by much better teams. The 38-year-old often lost sleep when the Canners under performed, and vowed to be better prepared the ensuing week.

He cherished Friday night triumph, savoring every winning moment in a community where football victories were rare. But the celebration ceased every Saturday morning, when Hibbs awoke at the crack of dawn to begin studying the next week’s opponent.

The hard work and endless preparation paid off this year, when the Canners won a share of the YAIAA Division III Title, with Bermudian Springs and Delone Catholic. Biglerville also advanced to the post-season for the first time in school history.

It’s been a remarkable five-year run, that has now come to an end.

High school coaches come and go in this area, yet few have had as big of an impact as Tim Hibbs.

Coach Hibbs might be going to William Penn, but he’ll always have his Canner hat on.

Scot A. Pitzer is a Times Staff Reporter.

http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/articles/2009/06/03/sports/doc4a2665b5502f5002003562.txt

060209: "Hibbs tapped to lead Bearcats"

http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_12498734

"Biglerville coach Tim Hibbs was the unanimous choice to replace Matt Ortega."

BY FRANK BODANI - Daily Record/Sunday News

Updated: 06/01/2009 11:57:38 PM EDT

The new William Penn football coach comes with much more on his resume than success on the field.
Though, certainly, that helps.
Tim Hibbs, 38, not only drove Biglerville to its first division title of any kind in 37 years last fall, but he also made his mark elsewhere.
He created a program for at-risk students, working with the off-field issues that his school's junior high kids were facing. He also has experience in alternative education programs.
He even is a certified strength and conditioning coach -- which is a need he also will fill at William Penn.
The coaching appointment became official on Monday night with a unanimous vote by the York City School Board, which announced its decision after a short private executive session.
Hibbs replaces the highly-successful Matt Ortega, who resigned from the position in April to accept the head coaching job at Coatesville. Ortega's teams qualified for three-straight district playoffs, earned the school's first YAIAA Division I title in more than a decade and compiled a 37-18 record in five seasons.
"The man has big shoes to fill," said Jeanette Torres, school board president. "We're looking for a model. We're looking for someone to mentor our kids and never give up on them."
Hibbs took over the Biglerville program in 2004. He led the struggling Canners to a winning season in 2007 and a share of the YAIAA Division III title last year. He came to Biglerville after working as an assistant at Gettysburg College, among his coaching stops.
"He's worked with inner-city. He's taught on the alternative level. He's fully capable of relating to our kids," said Chaz Green, William Penn's athletic director.
"It's his passion. Just wanting to get here and help the kids in our district. You could see him getting chills down his spine talking about the kids.
"You can see the love and passion that he has."
Hibbs did not attend the school board meeting and could not be reached last night for comment.
He teaches social studies at Biglerville, though Torres was unsure whether he would seek a teaching job in the York City district.
Hibbs was one of "nine or 10" candidates who applied for the Bearcats' head job -- though none were internal -- and school board officials said they interviewed six. Officials did not name the others who were interviewed.

060209 - "Hibbs resigns as head coach at Biglerville"

http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/articles/2009/06/02/sports/doc4a2508c70f91c839765508.txt

BY ADAM MICHAEL - Times Sports Writer

Published: Tuesday, June 2, 2009 7:10 AM EDT

Tim Hibbs resigned from his position as Biglerville football’s head coach, Monday.
“I can confirm that one,” Hibbs said, adding he needed some time before revealing more information concerning his future plans. “I told the players today, so that is confirmed.”
As the head coach for a five-year tenure, Hibbs led his team to an overall 24-27 record, including a 7-4 slate in 2008 that included a share of the YAIAA-3 championship, breaking a 37-year drought of Biglerville teams without a division title. The Canners season ended when they lost their first-ever District 3 Class-AA game to Lancaster Catholic, 42-14.His efforts also earned him his first Times Area Coach of the Year award.
Biglerville athletic director Anthony Graham said it would be difficult to replace a coach as well respected as Hibbs.
The late resignation leaves the Canners at a bit of a disadvantage trying to find a head coach. With team camps beginning in mid-August, Graham will have to work quickly in order to advertise for the position, interview potential coaches and have one approved by the school board.
“Hopefully we can move quickly but not short-change the football players and student athletes as far as who we bring in,” Graham said. “We still want to find a quality coach to replace coach Hibbs. The standard is set pretty high, but we’ll just have to wait and see what we get."
“Hopefully with what coach Hibbs did with the program here in the last six years, we’ll gain some interest from some quality candidates," Graham said. "Coach Hibbs definitely turned the program around.”
Graham added that Hibbs has not indicated to him whether or not he will stay at the school as a teacher. However, Graham did say that Hibbs would be tough to replace in several facets.
“It’s going to be very difficult to replace a Tim Hibbs,” Graham said. “Not just as a football coach but as a strength coach and a track coach. He’s a certified strength coach. Everything he provided for the kids at Biglerville high school, it’s going to be greatly missed.”
The reaction from his players ranged from shock to sadness. Biglerville soon-to-be senior Zach Campo said the team met in the middle of the day because of a modified finals schedule.
The Canners meet once every two weeks to discuss workouts and to lay out plans for the summer.Expecting business as usual, Campo said they were stunned into silence.
"When he first told us it was kind of like, shock,” he said. “We didn’t know what to think at the time. There was really nothing said. Everyone was just kind of in disbelief. There were a lot of us really sad.”
Known for his tireless work ethic, his late night preparation of scouting reports following Friday night games, and his Speed, Agility, Quickness program, Hibbs will surely be missed, said Campo.
“I’m still a little upset because all I’ve known is coach Hibbs football,” Campo said, adding Hibbs was a mentor in all sports seasons. “He’s affected the way I played all my sports including basketball and baseball, using his philosophy of athletics. It’s a big change for me. I’ll come with his philosophy next year, 100 percent every single play, but it’s going to be a little different or a little weird.”
Hibbs took a temporary vow of silence with his students, not confirming his resignation from Biglerville, except as a football coach. He also declined to talk about his future in athletics.
“He just told us that he’s proud that we played for him and that if we need to talk to him, we can talk to him. He’ll be there,” Campo said.
Following the announcement, Graham, took over offering words of advice that Hibbs typically armed himself with.
“He just said we’re sad to see coach Hibbs go, but we need to understand that people move on and we just have to take from what coach Hibbs taught us: overcome adversity,” Campo recalled. “We’ll take from that and try to overcome this.”
The Times Area Most Valuable Player, graduating senior Parker Showers also said he was sad to hear that Hibbs was moving on.
Though players finished with the program were not invited to the meeting, Showers said he found out soon after.
“I was glad to have him as my coach, I’ll say that,” Showers said. “If he decides to go somewhere, I know they’re getting one heck of a coach. Biglerville would be losing a head football coach and all around athletic training coach.”
Adam Michael can be reached at amichael@gburgtimes.com.

On Why We Call Them the O's

On Short Term Thinking

The O's are 5-2 over the last 7 days with a team ERA of 3.18.

I could stand a few more days like this.

VIDEO REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: 053009 - "Wiffeball Highlights"

Highlights from the Memorial Day wiffleball game. Enjoy.

http://gettysburgtimes.com/video/#vmix_media_id=4312072

On the O's

The Baltimore Orioles completed a 3 game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a come-from-behind (twice) 12-10 victory yesterday at Camden Yards. It is the O's first sweep of the Blue Jays since 1994.

Nolan Reimold hit a walk-off 3 run homer in the 11th to cap the final comeback. It is the recently called up rookie's 4th home run in 49 ML AB's.

Luke Scott homered on the first pitch offered to him in his return from the DL.

Rich Hill got roughed up in his 3rd start of the season, lasting only 3 1/3 innings and surrendering 7 runs (6 earned). The bullpen combined for 7 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs and keeping the O's in the game long enough for Jays starter Roy Halladay to depart and the Jays bullpen to take over, setting the stage for the O's 5 run 8th inning to tie the game and 4 run 11th inning to win it after falling behind in the top of the 11th.

The Tigers come to town today for a 4 game set. David Hernandez (3-1, 2.91 ERA at AAA Norfolk) has been called up to take the start for Koji Uehara, who was placed on the DL yesterday. Hernandez has 60K in 43 1/3 IP including a 14K performance in his last outing in the minors.

On the O's

The Orioles most recent turn through the rotation was the best of the year by far and resulted in 4 victories for the Birds.

The wins came against the lowly Nationals and the slumping Blue Jays.

It is , nonetheless, encouraging because Baltimore has often been the destination for ailing teams to get well.

Date	Starter	IP	Hits	Runs	Result
5/26/09	Jason Berken	5	7	2	Win 7-2
5/25/09	Jeremy Guthrie	7	7	1	Win 4-2
5/24/09	Brad Bergesen	5 2/3	8	4	Lose 8-5
5/23/09	Koji Uehara	3	3	0	Win 2-1
5/22/09	Rich Hill	5 2/3	3	2	Win 4-2

Jason Berken pitched as well as could be hoped for in his ML debut. Jeremy Guthrie finally put together a start without throwing a bunch of fat pitches. Brad Bergesen pitched well enough to win and left with a lead, however, the bullpen could not hold it. Not too discouraging considering the bullpen had thrown 12 1/3 innings in the previous two days in nailing down tight victories. Uehara pitched 3 scoreless innings before leaving with a tweaked hamstring and Rich Hill posted a 2nd consecutive good start which the bullpen finished up in a 12 inning affair.

Uehara is expected to miss his next start with the hamstring problem, which means the next turn through the rotation will have only Guthrie remaining from the Opening Day rotation. Both Berken and Bergesen are O's minor league products and a 3rd is expected to be called up to take Uehara's next start.

The O's also announced that catcher Matt Weiters will be called up to make his ML debut in Baltimore against the Tigers on Friday night.

REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: 052309 - "Wiffleball Rivalry Resumes Monday"

A long off-season comes to an end Monday, when the Nieces & Nephews Team battles the Aunts & Uncles in the annual Memorial Day Wiffleball Tournament. Thousands are expected to attend the contest, held at Mentzer Field in the rolling hills of Hallam, Pa.
“It’s going to be a game for the ages,” says Uncle Stan, spokesman for the Aunts & Uncles Team.
This year’s clash features intriguing story-lines, as the Aunts & Uncles look to extend their winning streak — to two games — while the Nieces & Nephews hope to regain their dominance.
“We’re not gonna’ take it, no we aint gonna’ take it,” says first basewoman Meagan Sterner. “We’re not gonna’ take it anymore.”
Big games are expected from Aunt Vicki Mentzer aunt Aunt Connie Sterner, as the veteran ballplayers aspire to carry their aging team to victory.
“We just want it more this year,” says Aunt Connie. “That’s for sure.”
Ace hurler Jamie Lynn Pitzer is expected to make her third consecutive start on the hill for the Nieces & Nephews. The opponents mastered Pitzer in last year’s contest, tagging her for seven runs in the first two innings, before she settled down.
“They got lucky,” Pitzer said in an exclusive interview.
Grandma Mentzer doesn’t know what to anticipate, other than a big crowd and good food.
“The kids seem to be really focused this year, but Uncle Jeff said his team is hungry — in more ways than one,” laughs Grandma.
For highlights of Monday’s bash, watch the Video Reporters Notebook in the May 30 edition of the Gettysburg Times.
It’s action you won’t want to miss.
~ Scot A. Pitzer, Times Staff Reporter.

On Treading Water

The O's have managed a 7-6 record in the 13 games since a season high 6 game losing streak to end April and start the month of May.

Pitching woes continue to plague the Orioles, whose starters have the highest ERA and the lowest IP per Start in the AL. Only the Oakland A's starters have fewer Wins than O's starters.

The O's bullpen has started to round into form with merely the 10th highest ERA in the AL. If the starters don't soon start pitching deeper, this trend will not last for long.

Defensively, the O's have tightened up over the last 13 games. They now have only the 10th highest number of errors in the AL, but still have surrendered the most Unearned Runs.

The O's offense is playing respectable baseball, ranking 6th in Batting Average, 7th in Slugging and 8th in Runs in the AL. The offense has been carried by Roberts, Jones, Markakis and Huff. If the rest of the roster gets "off the schnide", there is still hope for a potent offense.

The highlight of the last 13 games is this.

Golf

You know what golf is, don't you? It's basketball for people who can't jump, and chess for people who can't think.
-- Tom Robbins,
from B is for Beer

REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: 051609 - "School District Consolidation"

Pa. Governor Ed Rendell has come up with a lot of bogus ideas over the years, but his school district consolidation proposal is really mind-boggling.
Big Ed thinks that the Commonwealth could save money by compacting the state’s 500 school districts down to about 100 or so.
I just don’t see it happening, especially around here.
If it was put to referendum in Upper Adams, for example, it’d be rejected — probably by 100 percent.
Why?
Because, it would mean that Bermudian and Biglerville would likely have to merge.
Uhmm, no.
There’s no way we’re going to send our kids to school with those heathens!
(At least they have decent water up there.)
Good luck Ed, trying to push this one through the State Legislature.
It’ll never work in Apple Town.
~ Scot A. Pitzer, Times Staff Reporter.

Worst Owner in Baseball

Guess who is number one. Two winning seasons out of 15 years of ownership, and the sad thing is that he doesn't care.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/05/08/mlb.owners/index.html?eref=T1

Year of Purchase: 1993

Purchase Price: $173m
Current Value: $400m
W-L: 1,128-1,179
Winning Percentage: .486
Playoffs: two
Championships: zero

When the Baltimore lawyer took control of the team in 1993, it was a year removed from its Camden Yards debut with a stacked roster Angelos allowed former GM Pat Gillick to build. The O's went on to make the first of two consecutive ALCS appearances just three years later. Then Angelos began his notorious meddling, firing popular manager Davey Johnson, burning through another five managers, killing trades proposed by his GMs and stripping down one of baseball's proudest franchises. The O's haven't finished above .500 in 11 seasons since their last playoff appearance.

On the Stimulus Plan

The Obama Administration Unemployment projection if the Stimulus Plan were to be passed is represented by the Dark Blue Line.  

The Obama Administration Unemployment projection if Congress failed to pass the Stimulus Plan is represented by the Light Blue Line.

Actual Unemployment (with the Stimulus Plan in effect) is represented by the Red Triangles.

REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: 050909 - "Bike Week Fund Update"

Everyone involved with the Scot Pitzer Bike Week Committee is pleased to announce that our fundraising drive for 2009 is off to a flying start.
I was getting my morning cup of coffee mid-week at Kennie’s Market in Gettysburg when a gorgeous senior citizen handed me $10.
“Ma’am,” I said, “that is very generous.”
She planted a smooch on my left cheek.
“Keep your mouth shut,” she said. Then she winked at me.
I am also pleased to announce that I have a new sponsor: Season’s Bakery on Chambersburg Street. We are placing a jar at the front counter.
As of mid-week, we have raised $143.83. That is truly an accomplishment, given these tough economic times.
If you can sponsor me, send your donation (made out to Adams Co. Arts Council) to Gettysburg Signs, 100-B Buford Ave, Gettysburg, 17325. Or just mail to the newsroom, or the Arts Council.
If I win, I get to ride with Jennifer LeVan during the Bike Week Parade of Chrome in 2009. (No cats allowed at the parade.) All proceeds benefit the Adams County Arts Council.
Honestly, even I have opened up my heart to these charitable causes.
Last weekend, for example, I donated the $40 that I won during a poker game to the Scot Pitzer Bike Week Fund.
My sister has even pledged to give me $5.
And I also donated the $1 check that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania mailed me as a tax rebate. Thank you, Gov. Rendell.
(Big Ed donated $20 million to the new GNMP Visitor Center. I expect nothing less. Only $19,999,999 more to go.)
I might be alright, though. We have enough support up in Bermudian Springs to carry us to victory.
~ Scot A. Pitzer, Times Staff Reporter.

O's Demote Sherrill, Bullpen Holds "Relievers Only" Mtg

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.osnotes05may05,0,6624018.story

O's relievers close door - - - Bullpen meeting called after pronouncement on Sherrill

By Jeff Zrebiec jeff.zrebiec@baltsun.com
May 5, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - With their roles no longer certain, Orioles relievers held a "bullpen only" meeting in the visiting clubhouse at Tropicana Field before Monday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.
They were mum on what was discussed, though Orioles manager Dave Trembley made it clear that the meeting was planned by the relievers, not the coaching staff, who held their own meeting in Trembley's office before the game.
"That was an impromptu get-together on their part," Trembley said.
The bullpen is in flux after Trembley's pronouncement Sunday that George Sherrill, who has blown two saves in six chances this season, is no longer the full-time closer and that the role will be decided on a "day-to-day" basis.
Trembley elaborated on the decision before Monday's game, and acknowledged that it is slightly out-of-character for him not to have relievers in established roles.
"It probably is different, but sometimes you have to do some things a little different to try and win a game," Trembley said. "I'll have to wait and see. I think sometimes it depends on the score and also depends on who's available and who is pitching well. And I also think sometimes you have to go away from the norm a little when things aren't going well for you, and right now things aren't going well for us."
Trembley pointed to Sherrill's struggles getting right-handed batters out - they are hitting .394 against him with three homers in 33 at-bats - as a reason for the change. He said right-handers Jim Johnson and Chris Ray could get save chances but that Danys Baez will stay in his current role and be used as a bridge to get to the back end of the bullpen.
"I'm not excluding George, but I think everybody that has followed the club understands the difference in the right and left situations," Trembley said. "I'm certainly not trying to be disrespectful at all. I'm very much appreciative of what George has done, but I also think there are other things to consider."
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