Bob's Backstop Archives

 

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2009

Baseball in Baltimore Matters Again - June is still bustin' out all over...June 9

Once More into the Breech - Here We Go Again!...April 6

2008

The Party's Over - A goodbye to 2008...September 28

Swan Song - Goodbye to the 2008 Yankees...Sept. 11

 Adam's Garden of Eden - Another look at the centerfielder's coming-out party - July 30

The Accidental Manager Revisited...Are the comparisons still valid? - June 10

Color Me Dubious - Did the O's 'Do the Right Thing' in the Draft? - June 7

Tough Transition - The Yankees face a long and improbable road to the Playoffs - June 2

Prison Break - Our mad Doctor receives his annual visit - March 31

Can't Tell the Sea Mammal Without a Scorecard - March 7

Fall of the Mighty? - Our Hero Takes a Potential Turn for the Worse...Feb 13

Path of Destruction...January 30

2007 Columns

Feet-of-Clay-Rod Moves On : What's next for the Golden Shortstop and the Flying Dutchman?...November 2

Et Tu, Kevin? :What in the world was Andy MacPhail thinking?...Oct. 22

Bottom of the Barrel...The O's are worse than the Nats. Sat it isn't so!...Sept. 27

Testing, Schmesting...the Dirty Little Secret is out...September 12

Feelin' Squishy ...August 30

Wild Times Gone but Not Lamented ...August 23

The Belfry Week Diary 2007...August 7

The Accidental Manager - Can history repeat itself? Of course!...July 19

How Long Will it Take? - As the club braces to rebuild, how long before we see the fruits of the labor? - June 22

The Wrong Move - Is Bud Selig About to Make a Big Mistake?...June 13

An Ode to Place

2006 Articles

The 2006 Ally Award

Ai, Yi,Yi Yi - Humbled, Hat in Hand, an Icon Returns...October 16

At Least They Got the 'Duty' Part Right, Almost - Our Take on MLB's Post-Season Marketing...Oct 5

Another Whimper - The O's 'Go Down Easy' Again in 2006

Waiting is a Mistake - The O's are missing a chance that may not come again...July 31

Hot Dogs in the News - Baseball news that has truly gone to the dogs...June 9

The View from 334 - Bob's notes on Wednesday's game...June 8

Time for a Change - How the O's Can be Most Likely Improved...June 1

The View from 334 - Observations on Friday's Nats-O's tilt...May 20

Gulp Fiction - It's nearly summer reading time again...May 8

 Suppose they Held Opening Day - And Only 80% of Capacity Came?      ...April 12

Let the Games Begin - Thoughts on Opening Day...April 3 

Jekyll and Hydegrove Strike Again - Basic Instinct 2 has nothing on us for a sequel...March 31

So You Think Things Are Really Different? - More of the same in Spring Training yet again...Feb 16

The Belfry and the Business of Baltimore Baseball, Part III - The Last Word...February 14, 2006

 The Belfry and the Business of Baltimore Baseball, Part II - Bob discovers a crusade can be a lonely thing, indeed...February 13, 2006

The Belfry and the Business of Baltimore Baseball, Part I - We're on the march to get some changes made, or know the reason why...January 17

2005 Articles

The 2005 Belfry Christmas Carol - This Year's Holiday Fantasy...December 19

The 2005 Ally Award - Not much of a surprise, but certainly well-earned...November 22

SSDD - The Word from the Warehouse Today Has a Distressingly Familiar Ring...October 12

The Budfather - The epic struggle for the Nationals takes a cinematic turn...October 11

The Daily Birdcage - Tired of being depressed by the print media? Let us do it instead - September 27

Silence is Not Always Golden - The Winds of Change Are Gathering At The Warehouse - Sept 22

Ten Years After - a look back at 2131...September 7

Back to School, Part One ...Taking a first look at what ails the O's - August 30

End of an Era - an eyewitness account of a watershed day in Orioles' history - July 26

Welcome to the Bungle - Can anyone win the AL East? - July 18

The Special Season - Still having fun? You better be - June 24

Dope Fiction...Ripped from the pages of today's headlines - May 11

Gillick Shows His Colors - Pat's recent actions in Seattle confirm my suspicions about him all along...May 3

Re-Kline-ing - We take a peek at Steve's diary...April 14

Time Begins Again - Here we Go!...April 4

The April Fool Belfry - Not that there is a lot of difference...April 1

Requiem for a Lightweight - Barry Bonds Isn't the Only One to Have Just Had Enough...March 24

Ain't the Beer Cold, Miss Agnes? - Goodbye, Chuck...March 7

Jose, Can You See? - Jose Canseco Drops By for a Little Heart-to-Heart...February 18

They Finally Said It - Beattie's statement at FanFest was either a sorry excuse, or a harbinger of the future...January 10

A Ballclub By Any Other Name - The reverberations in OC are not unlike those of Charm City...January 6

2004 Articles

The Face of an Angel - Our Holiday Message for 2004...December 22

The Ally Award for 2004 - Our Fourth annual excursion into Darkness...December 21

Captain Tootsie Strikes a Blow for Justice - Our intrepid hero strikes fear into the hearts of evildoers, wherever they are...November 1

It's a New Day - The aftermath of the Yankees' loss...October 21

 Five Hundred Thousand Clicks on the Wall...Take One Down, and Pass It Around - October 19

Making the Grade - How did I feel the Orioles stacked up in 2004?...September 29

The Future of the Belfry - Where should we be looking to go next season?...September 27

The Candy Man - The candy bar that complains about the way you opened the wrapper...Aug 31

Mazzilli's Many Faces - Though mostly O's fans only get to see one...August 30

Pulp Fiction - What the discerning reading public is enjoying during the dog days...August 17

A Tale of Two Seats - The Orioles have work to do to bring back more of their fan base...August 10

The Devil You Say - George Steinbrenner sits down and talks with us in the aftermath of his startling revelation...August 2

The Orioles Put the 'Dis' Back in Dysfunction - it's the same old story, just with a different cast of characters, save one...July 15

 As Syd Would Say, This Dog Don't Hunt - The Braintrust is appearing to be neither brainy, nor trustworthy...July 8

The Pitching Gurus Strike Again - Dumb, and Dumberer...June 22

I Once Was Found, But Now, Am Lost...The Orioles seem to have misplaced something in recent weeks...June 10

Calling Madison Avenue - The Orioles' lack of success in dealing with the Yankees sparks a new marketing campaign in New York...June 1

Hanging Our Heads Again - Back to being a laughing stock, unfortunately...May 28

Is Nothing Sacred? - First, Cracker Jack, next, hot dogs?...May 23

The O's Round the First Turn - so what, if anything, did we find out in April? ...May 4

Farewell to Bambi  - We say goodbye to one of the Orioles' own...April 6

It's Not Your Father's Opening Day - Although I know the out-of-towners will get to watch, it just ain't right...April 2

A-Rod Wants Out - In a Belfry Exclusive Parody, A-Rod gives us the scoop on his feelings...March 30

Fond Farewell, Part One - Craig shares some of his thoughts and the sights of  Spring Training in part one of his recap...March 28

The Tipping Point -Thoughts of where the Belfry and baseball belong in my life, on the eve of the real baseball season...March 21

Pre-Fab News - Why wait to read the paper this week? We've got the big stories for you, already!...March 13

Doomed to Repeat? - What's happening in L.A. has happened before, right here in Charm City...March 8

We Had It All Wrong - What's really making the players all big and strong...Mar 7

Reflections on Spring Training...Feb. 24

Another Assault on the Records? - What will be baseball's position down the road concerning the Steroid Boys?...Feb. 19

Now That The Wailing is Over -what does the A-Rod deal really mean to the Yankees?...Feb. 17

Operator, Can You Help Me Place This Call? - New Technology is making keeping in touch more difficult...Feb. 12

Death, Where is Thy Sting? ...The Orioles Community suffers another loss...Feb 11

 A Q & A With GM Jim Beattie...Feb 5

I'm Your Agent, and I'm Here to Help - with friends like Scott Boras, who needs enemies?...Feb. 4

Not with a Bang, But With a Whimper -The fans and fired GMs and the HOF aside, Mo can at least enjoy his last season of paychecks...January 30

We've Seen This Before - How Come the Orioles off-season is now getting the short shrift, while the Angels are hailed as geniuses?...January 27

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish - Aren't there a few other places the O's need to spend money this season?...January 26

Worse Than We Knew - Dowd opens up enough to let us know that Rose had options...January 13

Well, Guess It's Time to Move On - The Aftermath...January 11

It's Time to Move, or Move On - Love him or leave him, I say...January 9

An Unsupportable Candidacy - Pete's workplace initials should stay QVC, not HOF...January 4

Bob's Backstop for 2003

That Was the Year That Was - a look back at a wacky year...Dec 30

Lessons from Scrooge - My holiday Greeting to all of you out there...December 24

Baseball Jones - After a long hiatus, the fans suddenly can't get enough - Dec 17

Baghdad Bob Becomes Boras Bob - See why some of Scott Boras' recent proclamations sound sort of familiar...December 16

Spending Federal Money - Save your Dixie Cups, the South shall rise again!...Dec 15

A Most Dangerous Game - The first round of offers reveal that the front office is again taking an approach that is more likely to fail than be successful...December 13

Holiday Movie Guide 2003 - Our Annual public service on what's out there for Baseball fans this holiday...December 10

The Third Annual Ally McBeal Award - December 8...who is this year's Splintered Slugger?

A-Rod Makes the Call - Any thought of friction between A-Rod and Buck is vastly overstated...December 3

A Warrior Lays Down his Tools - A farewell to arms...Nov. 19

We Should Have Known - There were clues that the steroid scandal wouldn't go away, but we missed them...November 14

The Belfry News for November - Hey, if ESPN can make it up, why can't we? A slightly skewed look at the latest Belfry rag...November 7

A Manager for All Seasons - The cat's out of the bag. I got an interview for the O's job last week. Did I say the right things? You be the judge...November 5

Queer Eye for the Straight Team - The Real Secret Weapon behind the Marlin's World Series triumph revealed...October 30

Crazy - There's No Other Word for the turmoil and unanswered questions looming over the 2004 season...October 29

Shall the Truth Really Set Them Free? - The Clouds Loom Over MLB yet again, this time over steroids...October 21

TV Nation - What happens when FOX decides to combine classic television with our national pastime?...October 14

Bob's Backstop: The Tepid New Thing - Now that the California Election is over, we can zero in on the O's next manager. Bob gives One Man's Opinion...October 9

Lesson Learned from a Long Season - Initial reflections of the O's season just past....September 29

He Wasn't Out of His League - An appreciation of sportsman and author George Plimpton - September 26

In Space, No One Can Hear The Boss Scheme - Horror, Sci-Fi, and Baseball don't belong together? Au contraire...September 17

The Tortoise or the Hare? - Which is better, to have won the division at the All-Star break, or to eke out a playoff berth in the last few days?...September 16

Not Just Another Brick in the Wall - thoughts on a Second Anniversary...September 11

Baseball Fever, Part One - is it the dreaded West Nile Virus? No, but there are diseases plaguing baseball fans on the East Coast...September 5

Managing Without Grover? - What is the braintrust thinking? Should Mike Hargrove be Replaced?...August 29

Down The Stretch - The Four AL Heavyweights jockey for position...August 18

Was It Graduation Weekend? - Was this past weekend just a blip, or a portent of things yet to come? - August 11

Theo Epsteinwalker Crashes Into The Death Star - What in the heck were the Red Sox brass doing yesterday? - August 7

The Weakness of The Death Star - Despite their current play, behind the scene Yankee missteps give hope to those who aspire to the World Championship...August 6

To Trade, or Not to Trade? - Time's a' Wastin'...July 30

You Can Go Home Again - Eddie and the fans of the Orioles have a lot to be thankful for...July 27

The Media Monster Eats Baseball - No, it's not a summer blockbuster. for many fans, it's an annual  summer downer...July 22

Armando Completes the Cycle - A look at what this acquisition means to the Yankees - July 17

Teacher's Pet - It took awhile, but I think I figured out why Dusty is skating on those remarks of his - July 15

Dusty is Really Crazy Like a Fox - We've discovered what the wily Cubs' manager is really up to - July 9

 Beattieing Up the Orioles - Jim Beattie takes aim at Sidney and Melvin - July 7

 Losing One of the Good Ones - Baseball loses one of its true gentlemen with the passing of Leonard Koppett - June 24

Nightmare on Eutaw Street - Bob has one pepperoni too many - June 17

Put a Cork In It, Already - Why is this a big surprise to anyone? - June 6

2003 Predraft - Who will the Orioles choose on Tuesday?...June 2

 The Next Turning Point - Okay, Loewen's in the fold. What's Next?...May 30

Damned Yankees - Seems like George's Deal with the Devil may be running out...May 27

The Monster Fiddles While the Warehouse Burns - The public attitude of the new management team continues to puzzle and frustrate fans...May 21

Deja Vu to You, Too - The last two weeks have looked way too familiar to O's Fans....May 19

 Fact Checkers? We Don't Need No Steenking Fact Checkers! - A recent scandal gave us reason to check our own reporter's work...May 13

When Can a Knight Call It a Day? - Did Sydney fall victim to old adage, "Watch out what you ask for, you might just get it?"...May 6

Crazy Like a Fox? - Is there an actual method to George's madness? - April 26

Daal 'M' for Murderous - reflections on the first Dirty Dozen O's tilts for 2003 - April 16

Opening Day: A Photo Essay - April 7 

Once More Into The Breech - Thoughts on Opening Day...March 31

 Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hydegrove IV - the annual visit from our resident Pollyanna and his evil counterpart...March 29

 2003 Predictions - How I see things going on the field in 2003...March 27

 Opening Day, Anyone? - The Orioles will be here on Monday. How many fans will be there on Wednesday?...March 25

Reality and MLB - When Reality Programming and Baseball Get Together...March 19

Happy Birthday to Us - Celebrate with us as we step back a couple of years for a moment...March 17

Pushing the Wrong Button - The Braintrust appears to be poised to make a potentially disastrous move...March 6

The Voice of the Common Clay...You Know, Morons. - David Wells writes a book...sort of...March 4

It's Not the Crime, It's If You Get Caught - The Union and many players are looking at this the wrong way...February 24

Is This Heaven? - A look at a special Field of Dreams story...February 19

Eulogy for a Rookie - A Time of Mourning and Reflection for O's and MLB fans...February 18

Waiting for Ivan - The Not-Ready-For-Belfry-Time Players go existential in their playlet concerning the Orioles' off-season...February 13

The Goodness of the Game - As Spring Training nears, a look back at where all those players got their start...February 10

All Good Things Must Come to an End - Ending a long time O's and Belfry Tradition - Feb 5

Agent Confusion, Not Collusion -an overview of the off-season charges by agents and players over the soft market...February 4

Johnny, We're Glad We Knew Ye - after writing about Pete Rose yesterday, this appreciation was like a spring shower...January 29

A Rose by Any Other Name Still Stinks - The Latest from the Hit King reinforces my feelings about allowing him back into baseball...Jan 28

After the Smoke Cleared - I don't know about you, but I'm not that happy with the New Guys at this point in time...January 27

Sleeping with the Fishes - What in the world is Florida thinking?...January 22

The Crystal Ball for 2003 ...just a few things we think we might see in 2003...January 20

Can the Doc Cure What Ails Us? - A new hire by the braintrust doesn't evoke a lot of warm fuzzies from this fan...January 15

All-Star Folly? - Is Bug's plan really sound, or is making the All-Star Game "meaningful" a potential disaster?...January 14

BAM! - A Public Service Message We Expect to See...January 10.

ED-die - Who else?...January 7

Bob's Backstop for 2002

Watermarks - Thoughts on life, love, and the pursuit of both on the cusp of the New Year...December 31

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front-Liners - The disappointment of Christmas Morning...December 30

Mea Culpa to Mea Copout - The Belfry gets a chance for a wishful thinking interview with The Hit King...December 17

"It's a Wonderful Orioles Life" - Our annual salute to Christmas film told with an Oriole slant...December 11

Do the Orioles Need to Reinvent the Wheel? - A first glance at what might be in store for the new tandem running the O's...December 5

Bob's Backstop: Godzilla, You've Got Mail - What exactly did the Matsui e-mail from Syd have to say, anyway?... November 25

Bob's Backstop: Pulp Fiction - What happens when the world of sordid, seedy thrillers and romances meet the world of baseball?...November 21

Here's the New Boss - So why aren't we getting excited?...November 17

Bob's Backstop: Somewhere Over the Dugout, Finis - Can Dorothy and Company really stop the plans of the Wicked Stein of the East? Of course she can, silly...November 14 

The Second Annual Ally Award - Who takes home the offensive ineptitude prize named after everyone's favorite anorexic attorney?...Nov 12

"Somewhere Over the Dugout, Part 10" - What really happened to Mike Scioscia in Game One of the Yankee series?...November 8

"That the Blind May See" - Is it possible that the Orioles may undergo an epiphany during the interview process?...November 5

"Urban Legend Gets the Hook" - Once more, what Oriole fans think they know turns out to not be the case...November 4

"Autumn's Bittersweet Swan Song" - Orioles fans can't catch a break...November 1

"Somewhere Over the Dugout, Part 9" - Dorothy and the Gang learn the identity of the flying army sent to destroy them...October 31

Bob's Backstop: "The Sound of Silence" - Peter fiddles while the Orioles burn; a lament for the uncertainty of our times...October 29

Bob's Backstop: "Monkey Shines in California" - Final thoughts on the World Series and the season...October 28

Somewhere Over the Dugout Part 8 - Dorothy and the Gang are off for Appleland...October 21

Bob's Backstop: Deja Vu, Lou? :What sort of future awaits if Sweet Lou goes home to Tampa? - October 17

Bob's Backstop: How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm, Once They've Seen Ottawa? - a tongue-in-cheek visit to the Orioles farm system - October 15

Rally Lets His Hair Down - A Belfry Exclusive interview with the latest rage of baseball, the Angels' Rally Monkey - October 14

Somewhere Over the Dugout Part 7 - Dorothy is finally face to face...sort of...with the Wizard of O's, and she receives a mission - October 9

Yankee Go Home : so what went wrong? - October 7

Aura and Mystique: No-Shows -What happened to our Dynamic Duo last night? The Belfry has the scoop for you - October 5

Bob's Backstop: "Not With a Bang,  but a Whimper" - The season is mercifully over. What's next? - September 30

"Somewhere Over the Dugout" Part 6 - The little group enters Charm City, and makes their way to The Warehouse...September 27

"Somewhere Over the Dugout" Part 5 - On the outskirts of Charm City, Dorothy and the gang are met by a temptation difficult to resist...Sept 23

"Somewhere Over the Dugout" Part 4 - The Moose hooks up with a deadly and diabolical partner to threaten the safely of Dorothy and the gang...Sept 17.

"Somewhere Over the Dugout" Part 3...The Wicked Stein of the East, Yogre, and The Moose combine as an Unholy Three against our little band of travelers - September 16

"Somewhere Over the Dugout" Part 2...Dorothy meets up with the Vulture, The Sin Man, and the Cowardly Liar on her way to see The Wizard - Sept 13

"Somewhere Over the Dugout" Part 1 - Roto, we're not in Delmarva any more - September 12

"Press On...Nothing in the World is as Important as Persistence." - A special Backstop for Sept 11, 2002.

"The Backstretch: Birdie or Bogey?" - Should the Birds be written off on the face of things, or has 2002 been somewhat successful? - Sept 3

"Eenie Meenie, Chilibeenie"  - The Belfry Investigative Team Uncovers the latest from that huge baseball fan, Nostradamus...August 28

"Sox Wars: The Umpire Strikes Back" - nearly a year in the making, the sequel to last season's blockbuster begins...August 14

Plan Nine from Between Syd's Ears - when all other plans fail, there is still one logical step to take...August 2 (thanks to Meg for this idea!)

All the News that's Unfit to Print - The Latest edition of the Weekly Belfry News, at your supermarket checkout NOW...August 1

Blessing in Disguise? - maybe the Orioles going into the tank is not a bad thing, long term...July 30

"He Really IS "The Boss" - Recent allegations about the Yankees put The Bronx Zoo in a new light...July 24 (Parody)

"The Games People Play" - Fun at the Ballpark in the New Age of Strikes, contraction, and dwindling attendance...July 19 (Parody)

"Wish Granted" - A Photo essay depicting a special day in the life of our newest Oriole...July 16

"Would You Buy a Used Car From This Man?" - Bud's Past Work Experience Obviously prepared him for his current responsibilities...July 11 (Parody)

"Anastasia? Sure, Ingrid Bergman Would Be Great !" - The All-Star Game rosters prove to be as well-managed as a Syd Thrift 40-man...July 10

"Print the Legend" - An Appreciation of Teddy Ballgame...July 7

"The Belfry All-Star Game" - The Alternative to the real thing would make for a higher rated Announcement Show, at least...July 2 (Parody)

"It's Deja Vu, Two Thousand and Two" - Things are looking a bit familiar about the O's these days...June 26

 "An Idle Weekend" - Darryl Kile is gone, but The Game of Life goes on and on...June 23

"Swan Songs Can Be Music to Our Ears" - Though I don't recommend signing a bunch of vets, there is much to appreciate in watching them play...June 18

"Tanning Incident" - A lighthearted look at an alternative cover to the recent "Orioles Magazine." - June 11 (Parody)

 Orange You Sick of This? - Astros' management heaps yet another indignity on baseball and fans...June 5

Bob's Backstop: The "Wal-Marting" of Baseball" - can Baseball's lack of vision lead to a Brave New World? - May 28

Bob's Backstop: "Around the First Turn" - how did the O's perform in the first quarter of 2002?- May 21

Bob's Backstop: "Riding on the Rims" - Is The Syd Bandwagon Built for the long Haul?...May 14

Bob's Backstop: "MLB- We Stink" : Baseball reaps what it has sown...May 13

Bob's Backstop: "O's TV" - so you think the O's couldn't program an off-season? Well, if the Yankees could do it, the Orioles, can, too...May 8 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop: "Et, Tu, Syd?" - Has Syd's Dysfunctional Personality Caught Up With Him Again? - April 27

"Just When You Think It's Safe to Go Back to the Movies- Part One" - The Coming Attractions for this week's blockbuster premiere...April 24 (Parody)

"The Destiny of the District? - Bob's take on Tom Boswell's Latest Franchise Folly...April 19

Bob's Backstop:"The Business of Baseball: Nothing is Sacred" -the latest in our series on the beginnings of the modern game...April 10

Bob's Backstop: "The Rock and the Hard Place"- Where do the Orioles and Their Fans Find Themselves, and How Did They Get There?...April 10

Bob's Backstop: "A Decade of Joy" - 10 Years of Pleasure at Camden Yards...March 31

Bob's Backstop: "Spring is Eternal" - March 24...a glance at a sunny Ft. Lauderdale afternoon.

Bob's Backstop: "O's Woes Redolent" - March 19...Bob chimes in on the sorry state of the O's.

"Uncle Syd's Toybox" - March 18...just what did Unca Syd play with when he was a kid, anyway? (Parody)

"The Business of Baseball: Pandora's Box"- March 14...The owners put forces in motion that still reverberate today.

"Marketing Midnight Madness"- March 11...how do you sell the 2002 O's? (Parody)

"World Belfry News, Cryogenic Edition"- March 8...and you thought Syd didn't have a plan... (Parody)

"The Business of Baseball...Nothing New Under the Sun"...as the major leagues look hungrily into new markets at the tunr of the Sixties, we see some now familiar patterns.

"Rangers and Redskins" -Feb 26...no, it's not a western, it's the meeting of the minds between the Texas Rangers and the Washington Redskins.

"Fan Support 1992-2001" -Feb 21...see how ML teams stack up in attendance in comparison with their number of wins over the last decade.

"Let Spring Begin" -Feb 20...It's finally here, and I can't wait.

"AL West Predictions" - how I see the offseason moves of the Left Coast.

"Business of Baseball...The Unthinkable Happens" - Feb 14. The next segment of our expansion series focuses on the late 50's moves of the Dodgers and Giants to the West Coast.

AL Central Predictions - What does Bob's crystal ball see taking place in the Central this year? Add your thoughts at Birdseed...

"If Ifs and Buts Were Candy and Nuts: Part One" - February 11...as pitchers and catchers report this week, what must the O's do to pull off a .500 season? Today: the offense

"There Was a Ballpark" - Feb 4...a final farewell in picture and prose to the Grand Old Lady of 33rd Street.

Bob's Backstop for 2001

Bob's Backstop...Secret Contraction Meeting Doodle Sheet

Bob's Backstop..."Coast to Coast Big Mouth"- December 29

Bob's Backstop..."Is this Hell?" "No, its TEXAS !!!"- December 19

Bob's Backstop..."We Need a Weatherman" - December 17

Bob's Backstop..."A Tale of Two Cities" - December 11

Bob's Backstop..."How the Grinch Stole Baseball" - December 3 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."The Ally McBeal Award" - November 28

Bob's Backstop..."Orioles Baseball by Jason Siemer" - November 21

Bob's Backstop..."Veteran's Day" - November 12

Bob's Backstop..."One of the Good Ones" - November 9

Bob's Backstop..."Pre Game Meeting" - November 3 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Managing to Fill Out the lineup" - November 1 (Strategy and Stats)

Bob's Backstop..."The All-Star Game and Other Pressing Matters" - October 24 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Coaching Academy" -October 23 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Autumn in New York"- October 21

Bob's Backstop..."The Weekly Belfry News"- October 18 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."A Bittersweet Season" - October 5

Bob's Backstop..."Cal, an Appreciation" - October 4

Bob's Backstop..."End of the Beginning" - October 3

Bob's Backstop..."September Song" - October 2

Bob's Backstop..."Some Warriors DO Just Fade Away" - October 1

Bob's Backstop..."Managing to Be Offensive"- Sept 21 (Strategy and Stats)

Bob's Backstop..."Let the Healing Begin"- September 13

Bob's Backstop..."Sox Wars...A New Hope" - September 10 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Closing the Door on a Closer" - September 5 (Strategy and Stats)

Bob's Backstop..."The First Strike is the Deepest" - August 27

Bob's Backstop..."Striking Out on Player Evaluation"- August 23 (Strategy and Stats)

Bob's Backstop..."The Return of O'sBay" - August 10 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."A Game for All Seasons"- August 8

Bob's Backstop..."Thread Busters"- Aug 3

Bob's Backstop..."Uncle Syd's Used Car Sale" - July 31 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Cliche Man, Part 1"- July 23

Bob's Backstop..."The OPACY Mutiny" - July 19 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."The Streak is More than a Number" - July 18

Bob's Backstop..."Syd Meets Japan" - July 17

Bob's Backstop..."Purge Surge?- July 11

Bob's Backstop..."The Stars Still Shine"- July 10

Bob's Backstop..."A Day to Celebrate"- July 4

Bob's Backstop..."It's All in Your Point of View"- July 2

Bob's Backstop..."There Once was a Writer Named Gammons"- June 29 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Oh Canada, What a Mess"- June 26

Bob's Backstop..."Summer Solstice of Our Discontent"- June 21

Bob's Backstop..."I Am Leaving, I Am Leaving"- June 19

Bob's Backstop..."Will July be Hot or Cool? - June 12

Bob's Backstop..."From Confidence to Arrogance?"- June 9

Bob's Backstop..."This Sun Never Rises"- June 8

Bob's Backstop..."No One Here Likes Baseball Anyway"- June 1 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."1989-2001...A Comparison of the Youth Movements"- May 29 (Strategy and Stats)

Bob's Backstop..."Boomer's Cafe"- May 24 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop- "Whose Season is it Anyway?"- May 17

Bob's Backstop- "Neon is Ge-on"- May 16...Will Neon Stay? Ten reasons he's gone... (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."What Made Johnny Run?"- May 10

Bob's Backstop..."A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to a Sweep"- May 7

Bob's Backstop..."All Yankees All the Time"-May 2 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Albert at the Bat"- April 30 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."A Solution to Baseball's Sick Franchise Problem"- April 28 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."It's a Grand Old GAME"- April 27...our look at Milton Bradley. (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Old Third Sackers Never Die" - April 25

Bob's Backstop..."Mystical Connections in the Desert" - April 24

Bob's Backstop..."Public Service Announcement"- April 20 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Kevin Malone visits Larry King Live"- April 19 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."The Baseball People Part 2"- April 18 (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."Instant Column"-April 15...write your own O's story !!! (Parody)

Bob's Backstop..."What Price Victory?"-April 13...The Baylor Baseball Program's Disgrace

Bob's Backstop..."FANTastic Baltimore"-April 10

Bob's Backstop..."Requiem for Pops"- April 9

Bob's Backstop..."Hartless"- April 5

Bob's Backstop...The View from 334...Opening Day- April 2

Bob's Backstop..."Beginning of the End"- April 2...a look at Internet Sports coverage

Bob's Backstop..."Day One"...notes on Opening Day expectations and emotions- April 2

Bob's Backstop..."Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydegrove Redux"...a preview of the O's 2001 season- March 31

Bob's Backstop..."Pretenders to the Throne"...the rest of the AL in preview...March 28

Bob's Backstop..."The King is Dead"...a preview of the 2001 Yankees...March 24

Bob's Backstop..."A Baseball Man"...March 23...A Cal Senior Tribute

Bob's Backstop...Mar 18..."A Farewell to Arms"

Bob's Backstop...Mar 17..."The Baseball People...Part One" (Parody)

The "Why Not?" Series

Around the Horn 2001