Whither the Orioles? Poems, Scripture and Terp Soccer Schedule

BALTIMORE, Maryland July 8, 2015 - On Sunday, June 28 of this year, the Orioles swept a day-night doubleheader from the Cleveland Indians and, in doing so, took over sole possession of first place in the American League's Eastern Division.  Since June 28, however, the Birds have been front seat passengers on a down-bound train.  Texas came to Baltimore after Cleveland and whacked the Orioles three times in the four-game series.  Then the Birds flew off to Chicago, where they proceeded to lose two out of three.  The Twin Cities were next and, counting today's 5-3 setback to the Minnesota Twins, the Orioles managed to be swept in a place where even the worst Oriole teams of the !4 consecutive losing seasons sometimes managed to win a series.  When you add this run up, the Birds have now lost 8 out of their last 10 games.  

The Orioles lost even though Manny Machado and Chris Davis each hit home runs - back-to-back - to lead off the 8th inning, cutting the Twin lead to 2 runs.  But that was it.  Ubaldo Jimmenez pitched 5 scoreless innings, but gave way to Bud Norris in the sixth, and the Twins greated Norris with a two-run homer by Brian Dozier and a solo blast by Joe Mauer, putting the Twins ahead, 3-1.  The Orioles had taken a 1-0 lead in the 4th inning, with the run scoring on a double-play ground out by J.J. Hardy.  

For now, the Orioles are 43-42 and 2 games behind the Yankees, who play tonight in Oakland.  Baltimore is idle on Thursday before opening a weekend series at Camden Yards against the Nationals.  

Poems:

A Clear Midnight
by Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892)


THIS is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless,
Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done,
Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou
lovest best.
Night, sleep, death and the stars.

Stoppin by Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963)


Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day
by William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 - April 23, 1616)


Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

From the Bible (RSV), Romans 8, Verses 1-5
Chapter 8, Verse 1: I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears the witness in the Holy Spirit, Verse 2: that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.  Verse 3: For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, thy kinsmen by race.  Verse 4: They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; Verse 5: to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ.  God who is over all be blessed for ever. Amen.

University of Maryland's 2015 NCAA Soccer Schedule

Exhibitions

Saturday, August 15 v.    Loyola,  Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)   7:00 p.m.

 Tuesday, August 18 v.   Bucknell, Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)   5:00 p.m.

  Saturday, August 22 v.  Providence, Ludwig Field (College Park, Md.)   1:00 p.m.

Regular Season
Adidas/Indiana University Credit Union Classic
Friday, August 28 v,  Notre Dame  (at Bloomington, Ind.)   5:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 30 v.  St. John's  (at Bloomington, Ind.)   11:30 a.m.

                                    __________

  Friday, September 4  UCLA    Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)   7:00 p.m.

  Monday, September 7  Akron     Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)   7:00 p.m.

  Friday, September 11   Michigan * Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)  7:30 p.m.

  Monday, September 14    Navy     Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)     7:00 p.m.

  Friday, September 18  Michigan State *  (at East Lansing, Mich.)      5:00 p.m.

  Wed,nesday, September 23  Georgetown  (at Washington, D.C).      4:00 p.m.

  Sunday, September 27  Wisconsin *  (at Madison, Wisc.)              1:00 p.m.

  Friday, October 2  Northwestern * Ludwig Field (College Park, Md) 7:30 p.m.

  Monday, October 5  Villanova Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)       7:00 p.m.

  Friday, October 9  Penn State *  (at University Park, Pa.)               7:00 p.m.

  Friday, October 16  Indiana * Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)       7:30 p.m.

  Tuesday, October 20  Delaware Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)  7:00 p.m.

  Friday, October 2   Washington Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)         7:30 p.m.

  Saturday, October 31  Ohio State *  (at Columbus, Ohio)                 7:00 p.m.

  Wednesday, November  4  Rutgers *  Ludwig Field (College Park, Md)  7:00 p.m.

* Big 10 Conference Games