No pity for Angelos

So Peter Angelos is worried that a baseball team in Washington might work a hardship on the Orioles. Isn't that a shame? This is the same man who has led the way in ensuring the relegation of about two-thirds of major-league teams to the garbage pits with his outlandish spending and other acts of irresponsible arrogance.

When I first moved to Baltimore, I used to tingle with excitement at the heroics of guys with names like Dempsey, Palmer, Bumbry, Singleton, Dauer and Weaver, as they invariably made the end of every season one to cherish whether they wound up winning it all or not.

Since 1995 I have refused to even listen to a major-league baseball game. My only interest anymore is to scan the sports page to see whether the Orioles lost. That, for the most part, at least has been some consolation.

Ken Ungerecht Jessup

Comparing sprint speeds

In the March 14 edition of The Sun, Robert P. Lloyd questioned the authenticity of the sprint speed attained by the Orioles' B. J. Surhoff while training on a treadmill. He wondered how it could be that Surhoff and Orioles strength coach Tim Bishop were "faster" than 100-meter Olympic champion Donovan Bailey.

In a 100-meter sprint, an athlete is required to begin from a stationary starting position. Upon hearing and reacting to a starting gun, the athlete begins to accelerate. This acceleration phase in elite sprinters takes 50-60 meters, after which the athlete is now at maximum sprint speed. Elite sprinters can maintain this maximal effort for 20-30 meters. After this period, the athlete decelerates to the finish line.

Bishop and Surhoff ran on a treadmill that was already moving at a high speed. Since they did not participate in the acceleration phase, they were able to hold their maximal speeds for a longer period than normal. An exercise like this works on an athlete's ability to maintain maximal sprint speed, and is part of a total sprint training and conditioning program.

Mark Shropshire Columbia

The writer is program director of Ripken Sports Acceleration.

Is Belle the O's Rodman?

It appears that Albert Belle is destined to be the Dennis Rodman of the Orioles. They knew about his tantrums when they hired him, so why is Orioles general manager Frank Wren rushing to his defense?

When Belle pledged upon signing his five-year, $65 million contract last December that he would become more approachable to the media, Wren had every right to expect him to live up to his promise. Now we are still in spring training and his conduct is becoming reprehensible. What kind of reputation is this going to lead to for our Orioles?

The fans and particularly our children don't need to witness this type of behavior. If Albert Belle can't control his temper, then he should move on to some other city like Washington, where they are used to abnormal behavior.

Walter Boyd Lutherville

Mitchell deal makes no sense

I cannot believe the Ravens actually traded for quarterback Scott Mitchell. What a mistake!

He is certainly not going to make the Ravens better. He was horrible in Detroit and will not be any better here.

Picking up Mitchell and trading Jim Harbaugh is simply dropping one washed-up quarterback for another. It makes no sense.

John Hopping Laurel

What are Modells doing?

Do Art and David Modell know anything about football other than the balls are pumped up to 13 or so pounds?

I can't believe that just about the entire starting offensive line leaves and coach Brian Billick says we don't need those guys anyway? Count down the clock for when Jonathan Ogden leaves.

I'm sure we'll have another wonderful year getting excited about beating Cincinnati out of the AFC Central basement.

Michael O'Conner Baltimore

DiMaggio tribute on the mark

Of all the tributes to Joe DiMaggio, Sun columnist John Steadman's was the best.

He did not make him bigger in death than he was in life, and at the same time gave him full credit for being the great American hero that he was.

James J. Lacy Baltimore

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