Sports Beat column - April 26, 2007

Sports Beat
April 26, 2007

Sports Beat by Bill McCaffrey

With a six week hype now ending its time for the NFL draft Saturday and look for the Baltimore Ravens to have a decent draft and the Washington Redskins to be in the pits, they do have a high choice and then don't pick for a long time. The Ravens also have much better scouts and player personnel. Both teams feel they don't need a quarterback but the Ravens could use a middle or late round pick to get one. The Ravens should be looking higher because â¤¦Airlessâ¤? McNair's arm might be completely gone this season and you know how Billick feels about Boller so maybe they should look at QB quality for one. Here are some of the players who should go high in the draft: JaMarcus Russell; Calvin Johnson; Adrian Peterson; Brady Quinn; Armobi Okoye; Joe Thomas; Gaines Adams; Levi Brown; Leon Hall; Pete Johnson; LaRon Landry; Ted Ginn Jr,; Greg Olson; Marshawn Lynch; Patrick Willis (no relation to John or Oscar Willis); Ryan Katril; Robert Meachem, Adam Coreker; Joe Staley, and Aaron Ross. The Redskins unless they trade their sixth pick they don't have another pick until the 5th round. The Ravens on the other hand have enough picks and don't be surprised if they pick a QB in the 6th round.

LESLIE MOORE SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION TO HONOR
"HEROES IN THE TRENCHES" ON MAY 7, 2007

Lenny Moore, Baltimore Colts halfback and NFL Hall of Famer, will be hosting a sixth annual dinner and silent auction on Monday, May 7th at Martinâ¤s West to benefit the Leslie Moore Scholarship Foundation, a non-profit organization named in honor of Mr. Mooreâ¤s son, Leslie who passed away in January of 2001 after a long and brave battle against scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease. An avid sports fan, Leslie passed the morning after the Baltimore Ravens advanced to Super Bowl XXXV. Operating as a participating fund of the Baltimore Community Foundation, the Leslie Moore Scholarship Foundation seeks to raise monies to distribute scholarships for economically disadvantaged youth in Baltimore City and its surrounding counties to further their education. Celebrating the theme, â¤¦Heroes In The Trenchesâ¤?, the Leslie Moore Scholarship Foundationâ¤s dinner and silent auction will be attended by several members of the NFL Hall of Fame. Those scheduled to attend include: Deacon Jones; Bobby Bell; Yale Lary; Raymond Berry; Elvin Bethea; Mel Renfro; Larry Little; Leroy Kelly; Bobby Mitchell; Joe DeLamielleure; Herb Adderley; John Mackey; and Lem Barney. The Leslie Moore Scholarship Foundation â¤—s fifth group of five scholarship recipients will be introduced. Jim Marshall of the Minnesota Vikings, and the NFL's version of the â¤¦Iron Manâ¤?, who still holds the NFL consecutive games record for non-kickers, will be there. Meadowlark Lemon of the Harlem Globetrotters, the â¤¦Clown Prince of Basketballâ¤?, who is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame will join this function. Three quarterbacks personifying â¤¦Heroes In The Trenchesâ¤? who will be attending include Earl Morrall (1968 MVP) of the Baltimore Colts, Steve Grogan of the Patriots, and Frank â¤¦The Comebackâ¤? Reich of the Bills. Also attending will be Baltimore Colts alumni (including Roger Carr, Fred Cook and George Taliaferro), other NFL alumni (including Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers), Baltimore Ravens players and Baltimore Orioles alumni (including Al Bumbry and Paul Blair). Two ticket categories to the Foundationâ¤s dinner and silent auction are available: 1) â¤¦Lenny's Huddleâ¤? tickets at $225 for an individual ticket, or $2,000 for a table of ten (at least one celebrity athlete will be seated at every â¤¦Lenny's Huddleâ¤? table); and 2) â¤¦General Seatingâ¤? tickets at $125 for an individual, or $1,000 for a table of ten. For tickets call Cindy Ortman at 410-793-3905, ext.2195 or Robbie Davis at 410-560-3200. Monetary contributions to the Foundation can be mailed to: The Leslie Moore Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 4144 , Crofton , MD. 21114. It's a great and worthy affair so get your tickets now and don't be shut out!

ORIOLES HOT

Thus far in the American League the Baltimore Orioles are the surprise team and Sam Perlozzo along with his coaches is doing an outstanding management job, the come from behind wins have been outstanding. Nick Markakis is proving he is for real, the past two weeks he has made a believer out of me. I doubt if they can do anything better than third but that would be a big jump for them. This week the Orioles dropped two to the Oakland Aâ¤s (5-4 and 4-2). The Aâ¤s super reliever Houston Street picked up two saves. Steve Trachsel had a good outing in beating Toronto . Miguel Tejada is not jacking them out but he is hitting for a high average, Melvin Mora is coming on and Cory Patterson continues to cover the ground in centerfield. You have to credit the team in getting some great middle relievers in Denis Baez and Jamie Walker to go long with John Parrish. Closer Chris Ray had six saves coming into this week (second in the American League). Except for the poor radio coverage on the Orioles games the season hasnâ¤t been bad so far. The Washington Nats are so far behind the curve they seem to be drowning. They just donâ¤t have the talent to advance the basement in their division. They have gotten some good pitching from their starters but lack relief and setup folks unable to carry a lead to ace closer Chad Cordero. The Nats should have never let Alex Soriano and Jose Vidro get away.

NBA SHOULD REDUCE SIZE OF THE PLAYOFFS

The NBA playoffs are a farce and the number of the teams in them should be cut away! A team like the Washington Wizards does not belong in, they are terrible and without Arenas and Butler they have no chance at all. That would also make the regular season mean more. The NHL should do it too! Their playoffs are also a joke. Both leagues should do it for the fans who would then see more competitive regular season games because they would mean more.

GRIFFITH STADIUM

When I was young I used to like to go the Griffith Stadium to see the Nats play, in 1945 I saw 48 games there and 36 in 1946. I would sit in the grandstands and bleachers most of the time with Terry Maher and a lot of times Phil Sullivan, the late Jack Funderburk, John Pavlides would join us. Later Don Saccardi and I would sit in the bleachers â¤¦ Beer Garden â¤?. It was great seeing the likes of Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, â¤¦Princeâ¤? Hal Newhouser, Ferris Fain, Mickey Vernon, Dave â¤¦Booâ¤? Feeris, Cecil Travis, Pat Seery, Jeff Heath, George Case, Frank Howard, Roy Sievers, Bob Allison, Jim Lemon, Stan Spence, Harmon Killebrew, Clyde Vollmer, Tom Ferrick (his son writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer), Joe Page, Al Rosen, Camilio Pasqual, Al Kaline, and Brooks Robinson. Some of my early favorites besides the ones above were Sherry Robinson, Johnny Sullivan, Harlond Clift, Connie Marrero, Buddy Lewis, Eddie Yost, Roger Wolff, Dutch Leonard, Mickey Haefner, Gerry Priddy, Walt Chipple and Jake Early. The hot dogs were great, peanuts from the Phillapeno man in front of the stadium, the watered down cokes and later the Briggs Bar-B-Que in the stadium stand behind home plate, the Meadow Gold ice cream, and the Browning & Baines Orienta coffee sign on the right field wall. We all had great times at the stadium, oh yes I really didnâ¤t like watered down cokes and another was Louis Norman â¤¦Boboâ¤? Newsom (also â¤¦Buckâ¤? Newsom which he was also called). Remember Newson, Rip Sewell and Marreno with their blooper pitches. In 1945 and 46 I sometimes walked to and from the stadium, other times it was the Trolley on the Georgia Avenue-Seventh Street Line. Later in the 1950â¤s I would go to the games with Bobbie Ray Dalton, Freddy Dye, Chuck Enterline, and Jack Sowers. A day at the stadium was a fun time that you could really enjoy. The ten cent scorecards would be good to get autographs on. Little did I know I was also seeing Emmett Lainer, Billy Via, the late Harry Ginter and Manny Crupi working as bat boys and ball boys for the Nats.

Two-time Field Hockey Champs release 2007 Schedule
Maryland hosts NCAA championship for the first time

The two-time National Champion Maryland field hockey team announced its 2007 fall schedule and its championship hunt begins on Aug. 26 against Central Michigan in Evanston , Ill. The season culminates with the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship semifinal and title match being hosted at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex on Nov. 16 and 18. "We are once again pleased and looking forward to the upcoming schedule," said six-time National Coach of the Year Missy Meharg, who will be entering her 20th season at the helm beginning in the fall. "The schedule features a variety of teams from different regions and six different conferences. We will face the highest quality of play with the most exciting aspect of the schedule being the strength, with 18 of the teams were in the final national poll last year. The schedule will not only prepare us for the rigors of the top conference in the country in the ACC, but also for the postseason." The Terrapins' opening weekend in Evanston , Ill. , wraps up against Northwestern on Aug. 27. The Terps then travel to face Old Dominion on Aug. 31 to continue a storied series, which dates back to 1982. Two of the top field hockey programs in the history of the NCAA, Maryland and ODU have played a home-and-home series every year since 2000. The Lady Monarchs visit the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex in College Park on Oct. 12. This year's Terrapin Invitational will take place Sept. 8 and 9 and features Ohio State , Northeastern and American. The Terps do battle with the Buckeyes on the opening day of the event and Northeastern the following day. The Terps travel to nearby American 10 days later for a game on Sept. 19, after opening the ACC slate at Boston College on Sept. 15. The first ACC clash at home is a rematch of last year's NCAA and ACC championship games against Wake Forest on Sept. 22. The Terps won two of the three meetings with the Demon Deacons last season, including a 1-0 victory in the NCAA title game. The game versus the WF also marks the beginning of a four-game homestand. Traditional regional power, Princeton, makes the trip to College Park for a night game on Sept. 26 and Virginia visits on Sept. 29. Temple closes out the homestretch on Sept. 30. A rematch with Duke, which handed the Terrapins their only other loss last season, will be played in Durham , N.C. , on Oct. 6, before returning home on Oct. 7 to face Boston University . The Blue Devils fell victim to Maryland in the 2005 NCAA Championship game, 1-0. After the Oct. 12 meeting against ODU, the Terrapins play back-to-back road games at Delaware (Oct. 14) and North Carolina (Oct. 20), closing out the ACC schedule. Senior Day for the Terps takes place on Oct. 26 when the Villanova Wildcats visit Maryland to conclude the regular season. The 2007 ACC Championship is being hosted by BC, Nov. 1-4. The Terps have reached the finals in each of the last two seasons and in seven of the last eight. NCAA Tournament action begins Nov. 10-11 on campus sites. The national semifinals and championship game will be played in the state of Maryland for the first time ever, as the Terrapins play host at the state-of-the-art Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. Maryland advanced to the national semifinals the last four years, a first in the history of the program. The Terps won the NCAA title last year for the second-straight season. They return 13 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last season's 23-2 squad. Six newcomers will also join the squad beginning the 2007 fall campaign. More information on the NCAA championship weekend will be posted on www.umterps.com at a later date.

BALLROOM BOXING

Ballroom boxing returned to Michael's 8th Avenue on April 19th with a â¤¦Pro-Amâ¤? show and after several exciting amateur bouts the pros went on with an exciting pro card. The Pro results: Hector Alejandro, 2nd round TKO of John Lipscomb, Alejandro is now 11-3 (7 KO's) Travis Kauffman remains undefeated now 11-0 (6 KOâ¤s) with an unanimous decision over Dan Whersel John Owens stopped â¤¦Irishâ¤? Corson McCorey with a 1st round TKO. Mexican Jose â¤¦ Sombrero â¤? Hernandez upsets previously unbeaten Tyrell Samuel (now 9-1) with a 4th round TKO.

Holt stifles Arnaoutis-title shot next!
Commanding win sets up fight with WBO Champ Torres.
By Mike Indri
Retired Boxers Foundation
photo by Ed Mulholland

No one had to tell Kendall Holt the importance of his WBO jr. welterweight title fight eliminator bout against the rugged and dangerous "Mighty" Mike Arnaoutis. "This is my life," the talented fighter from Paterson , NJ would say. Headlining in Showtime's "Sho-Box, The Next Generation" series Main Event, staged in Arnaoutis's backyard of Atlantic City, would be a career defining, and life changing, fight for the twenty-five-year old boxer. The counter-punching, mega-skilled, Holt rose to the occasion, turning in one of the "smartest" fights in his twenty-three fight professional career. Taking advantage of his superior hand speed and ring savvy, Holt carried the early rounds and was practically pitching a shutout at the fight's midway point (59-55 on all three judge's scorecards). While it was Holt's advantage in speed that was frustrating and shutting down any Arnaoutis attack, it was also the intelligent fight plan, which had the normally sound boxing and aggressive Greek contender fighting a tentative fight. Outworking his overwhelmed opponent, Holt's razor sharp jab most often found its mark, as Arnaoutis's reddened face and bloodied head would attest. More importantly, the constant non-friendly reminder also stymied any chance Arnaoutis had of surmounting any kind of attack. The fight was already in the bag for Holt, as both fighters touched gloves in the center of the ring, to begin the twelve and final round, but a short, swift right hand caught Arnaoutis flush on the chin and dropped the feisty fighter to the deck - on the seat of his pants! Even though Arnaoutis easily beat referee Benjy Esteves' count, the look of panic and concern filled the bruised and reddened face of "Mighty Mike"', who had NEVER been knocked down before, either in the amateurs or pros! "I thought he (Arnaoutis) would be more aggressive, which would have allowed me to counter punch more. So, I just popped my jab" said the jubilant Holt afterwards." I had to win this fight to get to the next level. I did, and now I'm fighting for the title!" A tremendous win for Kendall Holt, now 22-1 (12 KO's), who always had the talent and tools to move to the next level - and now has the maturity and smarts of a well disciplined and educated boxer, Next up for the WBO's # 1 contender will be a title fight against current belt holder Ricardo Torres, who defeated the previously undefeated Arnaoutis, now 17-2-1 (9KO's) for the vacant WBO title with a highly disputed split decision victory this past November in Las Vegas. The title became vacant once former division champion Miquel Cotto moved up to the 147 lb. class. We wish Kendall well, as he has truly earned what boxing is just starting to give himâ¤†financial support for himself, and his three-year old son Keshon. In the "Sho-Box The Next Generation" Co-Feature: A battle of undefeated heavyweight prospects left something to be desired. Mike Marrone, 17-0 with 13 KO's, fighting out of Vero Beach, Florida, took on Chicago's Malachy Farrell, 15-0 (12 KO's), in what many claimed would be a showcase of the youth and talent of tomorrow's heavyweight division. Let's hope not. Both Marrone & Farrell appear to be nice guys and should be commended for getting into the ring and fighting with heart, yet neither fighter fought worthy of the Showtime television exposure, dubbed a "heavyweight special attraction". The twenty-one-year old Marrone, under the tutelage of Gus Curren and Lou Duva started the eight round bout off in aggressive fashion, while Farrell, 27, a two-time Chicago Golden Gloves Champion, landed less frequently, but with more power on his punches. Appearing to have hurt Marrone with a solid right hand in round three, Farrell let his dazed opponent off the hook with a less than spirited attack which would cost the proud Irish fighter dearly in the eyes of the judges. While languishing through several non-eventful rounds, Farrell again had Marrone hurt and holding on after landing several short uppercuts, and a stiff right hand, which Marrone was never able to get out of the way from. While many cheered as the listless fight was over, more would soon vehemently boo as Marrone was awarded a highly disputed majority decision win. Judge Eugenia Williams saw the bout a 76-76 draw, while both Tom Kaczmarek and Pierre Benoist scored it 78-74 for Marrone. "It was my fault, I let him off the hook when I had him hurt," realized Farrell afterwards. "I didn't do enough." While many of the 1,500 at the sold-out Bally's Ballroom apparently disagreed, the still undefeated Marrone saw the decision as fit. "I outworked him and I put pressure on him all the time, of course I won the fight!" Lou Duva felt the same way. "I thought he (Marrone) won the fight. He could have won it easier and stopped this guy if he listened to what we told him." On the Star Boxing Promotions undercard: After getting dropped by a crushing right hand midway through the first round, Vero Beach, Fl. native Mike Stafford clubbed his way to a four round unanimous decision victory over an exhausted Zeferino Albino. Albino, from Philadelphia , dropped to 1-1, while Stafford improved to 2-0 (1 KO) and made his corner, headed by the revered Lou Duva, very happy with the workmanlike effort. In the next four rounder, young and obviously inexperienced jr. welterweight Roberto Acevedo took home the "Andrew Golota award" for his disappointing disqualification loss to Philadelphia 's Ray Robinson. Hurting Robinson early in the first stanza, Acevedo pummeled his much taller and lankier foe as referee David Fields looked on intently and came very close to stopping what appeared to be a one-sided contest. Robinson survived and managed to clear his head by the beginning of round three, sorely behind on all three judges scorecards. For whatever reason the Puerto Rican fighter imploded and lost his fighting focus. Throwing Robinson to the deck and getting warned in the process, Acevedo complained about low blows and actually took a knee in the corner, which was counted as a knockdown. Acevedo again tossed Robinson to the canvas, which resulted in a one point penalty. As round four began it was obvious that the fight was out of Acevedo, who again picked Robinson up and dropped him to the deck, this time being the last time, as referee David Fields had seen enough and called a halt to the fiasco at the 2:38 mark of the fourth round. Being awarded the disqualification win, "The New" Ray Robinson remains unbeaten at 3-0, while Acevedo slips to 1-1 (1 KO). Eric Hunter pounded the game, yet overmatched, Vineash Rungea over six rounds to climb to 7-1 (3 KO's), while the gutsy Rungea fell to 2-7-2. Hunter, fighting out of Philadelphia , counter punched effectively with sharp, crisp punches and impressed all three of the judges who scored the bout 60-54 for the crafty young featherweight prospect. Listening to the instructions of head trainer Pernell Whitaker, Jersey City Jr. middleweight Raymond Biggs, Jr. out boxed stubborn journeyman Carlos Aballe over eight rounds to gain a unanimous decision victory. Using a strong body attack, which hampered the Miami Floridian, Biggs controlled most of the action to garner an 80-72 shutout and climb to 6-0 (5 KO's). Aballe, relegated to opponent status, falls to 5-6 (3 KO's) with this beating. The Showtime Network, along with Star Boxing and Duva Boxing Promotions, brought some good boxing action to the intimate and close-up setting of the Bally's Event Center , which the sold-out crowd obviously enjoyed. A sad note, on an otherwise good boxing night, was the absence of the late Paul Venti. Paul, involved with our sport for over sixty years, passed away recently and was a mainstay on the NJ boxing scene. A true gentlemen and class person, Paul was one of the better known judges for the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, after his many years serving as a highly respected boxing referee. A dear friend to all within the boxing community, Paul also served as President of Ring 25, a veteran's boxing organization which was there to always help boxers in need. Paul Venti was truly a boxing legend, and is sorely missed. Mike Indri Retired Boxers Foundation

Thank you Mike, you do a great job!

BOWIE STATE CAPTURES CIAA SOFTBALL CROWN
Roll 9-4 Over Virginia State To Win First Ever Championship

Make it 20 straight victories for Bowie State University but more importantly, the 9-4 victory over Virginia State University , gives the Lady Bulldogs their first CIAA Softball Championship in school history. BSU closes out the regular season and conference championship play with a record of 27-7 and gives the Lady Bulldogs an automatic bid into the NCAA Regionals. Virginia State (24-16) scored two unearned runs in the top of the 1st inning but Bowie State answered with four in their half of the inning to take a 4-2 lead. Two of the four runs scored were unearned runs for Virginia State starting pitcher Geneva Washington . Washington shifted positions after facing only two batters at the start of the second inning, handing pitching duties over to Kjirsten Beckstead. However, BSUâ¤s Lady Bulldogs continued the barrage of hits and extended that lead to 9-2 after two innings, which seemed to take any home field advantage away. The VSU Lady Trojans pushed its final runs across in the 5th and 6th inning, getting six of their 10 total hits in those innings. One glaring stat for Virginia State was its six errors. Virginia State â¤s Judy Hatch went 2-for-3 in the game and scored two runs. Kristie Holbert and Kendra Hank also went 2-for-3 for the Lady Trojans. Senior Christina Rzepecki, junior Erin Gray and sophomores Tiffany Toney and Heather Enders accounted for two Bowie State hits each. Enders picked up her 13th pitching victory of the season and Toney was named the tournamentâ¤s Most Valuable Player. Other Bowie State players named to the All-Tournament Team include Gray and junior Ashley Cook. Bowie State, the seventh ranked team in the most recent NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Region Poll, will now await a call to see who they will face and where they will play in the Regional playoffs in two weeks. For additional information about Bowie State University softball, contact the Office of Sports Information at (301) 860-3574 or log on to www.bsubulldogs.com.

LATE INNING HEROICS LIFT BOWIE STATE TO VICTORY
Lady Bulldogs Squeeze Out 5-4 Quarterfinal Win Over Elizabeth City State

An Erin Gray single to left in the bottom of the 9th inning, scored pinch runner Breaun Garner and lifted Bowie State University to a thrilling 5-4 victory over Elizabeth City State University . The win advances BSUâ¤s Lady Bulldogs into Fridayâ¤s (4/20) CIAA spring championship semifinal game and improves the Lady Bulldogs record to 25-7. The Lady Vikings of Elizabeth City State pounded out three hits in the opening frame, which translated into two runs and an early 2-0 lead. BSU junior Ashley Cook hit a double to right center, scoring sophomore Heather Enders from second and closed the deficit to 2-1 after two innings of play. The Bowie State bats came to life in the bottom of the 4th inning, scoring three runs on four hits to take a 4-2 advantage. Elizabeth City State tied the game at four in the top half of the 6th inning, banging out three hits. ECSUâ¤s Livia Baker began the inning with a double to right field and Cekea Cox followed with a single, advanced to second on a Lady Bulldogs error and scored Baker. An Alicia Graham single to left field, pushing Cox across home plate to even things up at 4-4. Elizabeth City State, the 3rd seed in the East, missed an excellent opportunity to add to their run total in the top of the 9th inning. Graham started the inning with a pop out to second for out number one. Shaneetha Holley reached on an error by Bowie State â¤s center fielder and advanced all the way around to third with one out. ECSUâ¤s Kim Bailey lined out to third for the second out of the inning. Bowie State â¤s Enders got Shawnequa James to pop out to first base, stranding Holley at third to end ECSUâ¤s threat in the top of the 9th inning. Bowie State began the bottom of the inning with a Randi Willey strike out. Virginia Hockey singled up the middle in her turn at bat. Christina Rzepecki went down swinging for the Lady Bulldogs second out. Annette Makle singled up the middle to advance Hockey to second. Hockey and Makle moved up one base on a passed ball, giving Bowie State its excellent opportunity. Gray came to the plate and stroked the game winning single along the left field line, scoring Garner. The Lady Bulldogs of Bowie State ended the thriller with 11 hits compared to six for the Elizabeth City State Lady Vikings. Makle, Hockey and Tiffany Toney led Bowie State with two hits each and Baker led Elizabeth City State with two hits.

SPORTS NOTES

The â¤¦John Thompson Showâ¤? has gone downhill since Rick â¤¦Docâ¤? Walker has left, no offense to Thompson but Walker is one of the best and now you are stuck with one of the worse in â¤¦Smokelessâ¤? Al Koken who is terrible and I donâ¤t even know if he was any good as a bartender on Capital Hill. I think .980 is going more downhill. Bring back Doc Walker to team with Thompson and put smokeless on at 2 AM if they are going to keep him. Baltimore is in the same boat with Anita (Harpo look-a-like) Marx. She is Baltimore â¤s answer to the Old Sports Babe. Amber Theharis and Chris Cole are better looking than Marx and more knowledgeable. Another who is going on his brothers name is Marcus Ogden (Jonathan Ogdenâ¤s brother) who has carried on with some of the dumbest radio I have ever heard. Give me Amber, Chris, Rob Long, Rick Walker, Rick Snider, Roy Yanosh and they would sink them all in the B-W area. Bring back Ron Menchine to do the Nationals games and make Len Foxwell his color man.

I ran into Alan Goldstein at the Orioles vs. A's game this week, a forme Sun columnist he now does a column every once in a while with the Press Box sports paper in Baltimore . Phil Jackman and Jim Henneman also write for this paper.

What is this English Soccer coming to Annapolis May 5 and 6? How many of you remember the â¤¦Ballpark Grillâ¤?? The DC Divas are in a new league this season, we'll have more for you later. Next Boxing Show at Michael's 8th Avenue will be a Pro-AM show on May 31st. Patrick Pannella is joining Oriole players in growing a mustache, didn't he try this before? Is Colonel Phil planning a â¤¦Rocks Reunionâ¤?? Stay tuned. Do you remember the â¤¦Rocksâ¤?? Belated Birthday wishes to Mary & Herndon Peach and Marilyn Ott. Who remembers Miss. Graham the math and Spanish teacher at McFarland Junior High School in the 1940's? I wonder where that cute blonde, Judy Arnold is today? Also Barbara Ague, Judy Hurst, Cal Cobb, Bette Dixon, Francis Stringfellow and Toni Agnew. The Washington Nationals host the Baltimore Orioles at 7:05 and The Bob Davids Chapter of SABR holds their first major event of the season.

What: A gathering of the friendliest, best baseball fans in the mid-Atlantic region for an afternoon of speakers, games, baseball trivia, a delicious meal and a major league game.

Where: Robert Francis Kennedy Stadium, Washington , DC

When: 2:00 P.M. through the end of the game

Who: Chapter member, their families, friends, and neighbors

Why: (please!)

How much: Exact amount to be announced in the next few days, but in line with the cost of previous events of a similar nature. Price will include all of the above.

Stay tuned...
John Galvin Fitzpatrick Sr., a retired state business finance official who followed local sports and did play-by-play for Loyola College basketball games, died of acute leukemia Saturday at St. Joseph Medical Center. The Homeland resident was 78. A nephew of Herbert R. O'Conor, who served as governor and U.S. senator, Mr. Fitzpatrick was born in Baltimore and raised on University Parkway . As a boy he was attracted to the old International League Orioles and was among the crowd that watched the team's wooden ballpark burn July 4, 1944. Mr. Fitzpatrick was a 1947 Loyola High School graduate and met for monthly breakfasts with his classmates at the Bel-Loc Diner until several months before his death. After service in the Army as a medic at Walter Reed Army Medical Center during the Korean War, Mr. Fitzpatrick graduated from Loyola College with a bachelor of arts in English. He was a past president of its alumni association and athletic hall of fame. "He had a magnificent, beautiful voice," said his daughter, Sally Fitzpatrick Waller of Towson , recalling that her father did play-by-play for Loyola Greyhounds basketball games at the school's Evergreen campus for four seasons. He was also a church lector for nearly 40 years and frequently called upon to serve as the master of ceremonies at banquets. As a young man, he worked at the old Crosse and Blackwell plant in East Baltimore to help finance his education. He often recalled for family and friends his experiences there filling and emptying a vat of tomato sauce, getting into it and scrubbing it clean at the end of the work day. He went on to become a First National Bank assistant vice president and was later executive director of the Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority. He retired in 1994. "His job, in addition to structuring loans, was to meet people, build relationships, go out to lunch and receptions, and talk," said his daughter. "It was a perfect blend of job responsibilities and aptitude. He had a blast. He was usually in the middle of a group, laughing, talking and telling stories." Mr. Fitzpatrick served on the boards of the Loyola High School Alumni Association, Notre Dame Preparatory School , the United Nations Association of Maryland and National Council of Development Finance Agencies. In the 1970s, he was treasurer of the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Council and chairman of the Visitors Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Baltimore, as well as the chamber's sports committee. Mr. Fitzpatrick read two newspapers daily, followed sports on television and attended basketball and lacrosse games. He was the president in 1977 of Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. The viewing is tonight @ Mitchell-Weidefeld 2-4 and 7-9. A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. tomorrow at St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church in Govans., where he was a past parish council president, incorporator, lector and finance committee chairman. In addition to his daughter, survivors include his wife of 49 years, the former Emily Keene; two sons, John Galvin Fitzpatrick Jr. of Baltimore and William O'Conor Fitzpatrick of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and three grandsons. Join Doc for the draft on Sport Talk 980.

WE GET LETTERS!

Bill, That article on coaches was right on point and we recently dealt with that situation here with my grandson. He went to another school in his senior year and beat his old school and won the division. Also didn't know Smitty pitched a no-hitter against Score. Great article and good point I was yelling about, Sharpton and Jackson never went down to Duke and apologized to those players. J.

Hi Folks; Below is our gig schedule for April/May. We hope to see you sometime this month. Also, a local non-profit organization, Annapolis Musicians for Musicians (AM-FM), is having a golf tournament on Wednesday, May 9 at South River Golf Course. See details at http://www.am-fm.org/events.html. If you are interested in playing, I have two spots open in my foursome. E-mail me if you are interested in one of those spots. Or if you want to start your own foursome, call Matt at 410-956-9031 to sign up (or e-mail Pthomas316@comcast.net) by late next week. You or your business can also sponsor a hole if you wish. In May we will begin our travels to Ocean City . Here is where you will find the Steve Ports Trio featuring David Bell and Don Wimbrough over the next month or so:
Friday, April 27 â¤³ 8:30-11:45 â¤³ Castlebay Irish Pub â¤³ Main Street Annapolis , (410) 626-0165 http://www.castlebayirishpub.com/contact.aspx -

Friday, May 4, 8:30â¤³12:00 - The Back Room @ Woodfire Restaurant in Severna Park, 410-315-8100 http://www.woodfirebackroom.com/backroom.html

Saturday, May 5 - 2-3PM - Steve will be with Murphy's Law at the Annapolis City Dock for the Annapolis Maritime Festival

Friday, May 18 - 6-10PM, David and Steve on the Deck at Fagers Island in Ocean City, 60th St. on the Bay, (888) 371-5400 http://www.fagers.com/restaurant

Friday, May 25- 9-1:15 AM, The Stil in Timonium â¤³- 410-560-7900 www.thestill.net/html See You at the Bar, Steve Ports, David Bell, and Don Wimbrough

Steve, You guys are super! Bill

Bill, Although I signed on last year and paid I didn't make it. This group has been holding this luncheon for many years and your class doesn't qualify until your year is the 50th, a lot of old timers there. Chick and Pat Murphy go. Chester â¤¦Weeâ¤? Speiser is the contact to sign on and make reservations. Eastern High School Renunion and Luncheon this Saturday at Maryland. J.

Dear J. I understand. Bill

Bill, If I have told you once, I have told you 10 times, Plews would have played behind Linthicum at Eastern Branch Boys Club, Bunker Hill Legion and Eastern High School . Enough of Mr. Plews. Have a pleasant eveningâ¤†..JW.

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