PressBox takes an inside look at the home of where life revolves around family, faith and football photography–kenya allen/pressbox photography–kenya VISIT BUYATOYOTA.COM FOR GREAT DEALS! buyatoyota.com Lorem ipsum With the level of performance you expect from a BMW; intuitive iDrive 6.0; available Driving Assistance Plus package with safety features, such as Active Blind Spot Detection, Lane Keeping Assistant, and Rear Collision Prevention; and BMW’s next-generation xDrive, intelligent all-wheel-drive system; the all-new BMW X3 proves that greatness comes in many forms. No matter what road, what terrain, or what adventrue, BMW’s newest-generation Sports Activity Vehicle® is capable of more. SPECIAL LEASE AND FINANCE OFFERS WILL BE AVAILABLE BY NORTHWEST BMW THROUGH BMW FINANCIAL SERVICES. Northwest BMW 9702 Reisterstown Rd Owings Mills, MD 21117-4120 410-902-8700 NorthwestBMW.com ©2017 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks. Issue 240 • 12.15.17 - table of contents - COVER STORY Happy Holidays From The Weddle Family................ 16 PressBox takes an inside look at the home of Ravens star safety Eric Weddle, where life revolves around family, faith and football By Bo Smolka FEATURE STORIES Sports Business w/ Bill Ordine................................ 09 Ravens Report w/ Bo Smolka................................... 13 Orioles Report w/ Rich Dubroff.............................. 23 Varsity Report w/ Wick Eisenberg............................ 32 Maryland Gaming w/ Bill Ordine ............................35 COLUMNS > One Fan’s Opinion .................................................05 Stan “The Fan” Charles > Connolly’s Corner ...............................................24 Dan Connolly > Upon Further Review ............................................25 Jim Henneman > The Reality Check ................................................36 Glenn Clark SECTIONS Front Row ................................................................06 College ....................................................................26 VOICES Photo Of The Month ...............................................04 10 Questions With ................................................... 10 Community Beat ......................................................34 They Said It On Glenn Clark Radio......................... 37 Ricig’s World Of Sports ...........................................38 Must be 21. Please play responsibly, for help visit mdgamblinghelp.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER. © 2017 @PRESSBOXONLINE | PRESSBOXSPORTS | | DECEMBER 2017 | 3 OF THE MONTH sabina moran/pressbox sabina ‘HEY, YOU LOOK FAMILIAR’ RAVENS LINEBACKER TERRELL SUGGS SHARES A MOMENT WITH INJURED DETROIT LIONS DEFENSIVE TACKLE HALOTI NGATA AFTER THE RAVENS’ 44-20 WIN AGAINST THE LIONS DEC. 3 AT M&T BANK STADIUM. SUGGS AND NGATA, WHO WERE TEAMMATES ON THE RAVENS FROM 2006-2014, WENT TO THREE PRO BOWLS TOGETHER AND WON A SUPER BOWL TOGETHER IN FEBRUARY 2013. ALL PRO BUSINESS SERVICES K&SK&S AASSSSOCOC I I AATETESS ExcellenceExcellence in in Auto Auto Body Body Repair Repair 39393939 Falls Falls Road Road ROBERt’s Key SERVICE INC. Baltimore,Baltimore, MD MD 21211 21211 KEYS FOR EVERY TYPE OF LOCK 217 W. READ STREET ServiceService 410.235.6660 410.235.6660 • • Parts Parts 410.235.3100 410.235.3100 BALTIMORE, MD 21201 FaxFax 410.235.2244 410.235.2244 • • 1.800.335.6660 1.800.335.6660 FAX 410.728.0504 410.728.7484 4 | DECEMBER 2017 | | PRESSBOXSPORTS | @PRESSBOXONLINE ONE FAN’S OPINION Giancarlo Stanton, Shoehi Ohtani Deals 3600 Clipper Mill Road Warm Up Baseball’s Big Offseason - Suite 300 - Baltimore, MD 21211 Cubs, New York Yankees and the team he ment and scouting. Phone: (410) 366-7272 Stan “The Fan” Charles F ax: (410) 366-7220 really wanted to play for, the Los Angeles While none of the Yankees’ top pros- - PressBoxOnline.com - ormally, baseball’s off- Dodgers. pects were included in this trade, Denbo season hot stove re- Within hours, Yankees general man-ag- was probably able to cherry-pick three-four Founder And Publisher er Brian Cashman entered with both feet in nuggets, who in time may make this deal ally gets heated up at Stan Charles the Winter Meetings. the Giancarlo Stanton Sweep-stakes. None much more palatable from the Marlins’ senior editorial adviser N of the other three teams made so much as side. But that was not how it Bill Ordine played out this year. a move toward serious engagement with The other big story ended Dec. 8, when Just before the 2017 the Marlins, and by the morning of Dec. 9, young Japanese pitcher Shohei Ohtani Community Beat Editor Winter Meetings were set to begin in Or- Stanton was added to the first lineup card signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Jayne Charles lando, Fla., the rug was pulled out from un- Aaron Boone will sign in late March 2018. Anaheim, who will send the maximum $20 Managing Editor der them when the two stories domi-nating On the face of it, the Yankees have prob- million posting fee to the Pacific League’s Kaitlyn Wilson the offseason both came to their conclu- ably ushered in a seven-to-10-year period Nippon-Ham Fighters. Associate Editor in which they’ll have a great chance to get Angels general manager Billy Eppler sions Dec. 8 and Dec. 9. Kevin Eck back to the head of the class. With a nod was with the Yankees as an assistant to In the days leading up to the winter Vice President of digital Services meetings, slugger Giancarlo Stanton’s to former Boston Red Sox president Larry Cashman until 2015. And now, before his Jennifer Nelson huge contract was still on the Miami Mar- Lucchino, the Evil Empire is back. third season as the Angels’ general man- lins’ books -- all $295 million of it. New own- A couple observations on this move. ager, Eppler has landed one of the most manager of digital programming er and front man for the team Derek Jeter First, this is what happens when under- highly coveted prospects. Previously, Ep- Glenn Clark had talked of wanting to knock its payroll financed ownerships are allowed into the pler was part of the Yankees’ pursuit of Editorial consultant down from the $130 mil-lion range to a game. And make no mistake about it, the Japanese superstar right-hander Masa- Krystina Wales much more market-man-ageable figure of Marlins ownership -- still searching for hiro Tanaka. Vice President, Sales and Marketing around $80 million. another $250 million in investment -- are Ohtani had narrowed his choices to sev- John Coulson In the early part of the week, both the undercapitalized. Jeter did accomplish his en teams -- the Giants, Dodgers, San Diego Account executives goal in two rapid-fire moves of getting his Padres and Cubs of the National League San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardi- Julie Sawyer Gail Greene nals were granted an audience with Stan- payroll adjusted by knocking roughly $42 and the Angels, Mariners and Texas Rang- Hugh Collie ton’s representatives to plead their case to million-$44 million off the books. He may ers in the American League. Art Director have Stanton waive his full no-trade pro- not stop there, as teams are going to be at- It was a wild situation MLB hadn’t seen tection. Both teams had basi-cally agreed tempting to trade for outfielders Christian before. Because of his age, the 23-year old Brad Meerholz upon the players they would send to South Yelich and Marcell Ozuna. Don Mattingly Ohtani is limited to signing a mi-nor league Senior Graphic Designer Florida and the amount of money they may still be the skipper of the Marlins, but contract, so the money didn’t scare any of Kimberly Shilling would pick up of the $295 million. his job description sure did change in a the teams away. Ohtani is reported to be a Office Manager That charade was allowed to go on only hurry under Jeter. two-way star -- a phe-nomenal pitcher who Leah Lancaster for a couple days, and then in rap-id-fire The return to the Marlins beyond sec- can throw at 100 mph and a left-handed Staff Photographers succession the Marlins saved $13 million ond baseman Starlin Castro was un-clear, hitter who all the scouts drool over for his Sabina Moran Kenya Allen a year for the next three years by trad- but there’s a reason why this deal was able power. “inside PressBox” ing second baseman Dee Gordon to the to come together so quickly. One of the key There are some general managers and Seattle Mariners, and then Stan-ton said poaches from the Yan-kees organization by scouts who claim he can do both, be a Dave Laishley, senior producer he was not going to San Fran-cisco or St. Jeter was their longtime director of player starting pitcher and an almost everyday Matt Stovall, producer/videographer Louis and would only accept trades to development Gary Denbo, who is now the player. Then again, there are others who Interns four teams: the Houston Astros, Chicago Marlins’ vice president of player develop- point out that it sounds too good to be Sean Whooley true and any attempt by Ohtani to pitch and bat may limit his ability to excel at either. Well now it’ll be up to Eppler and long- ACOVENVERAGE time skipper Mike Scioscia to figure how to S put Ohtani’s unique skill set to work. Clearly, the AL’s designated hitter rule AVEN had a great deal to do with him choosing > Scott Rifkin COVERAGE an AL team. And just as clear-ly was the > Bradford Mills fact that Ohtani wanted to play in a mar- > Stan Charles S ard of ket as close as possible to home and one in > John Coulson Bo FOLLOW THE RAVENS ALL SEASON LONG AT PRESSBOXONLINE.COM/RAVENS which there would be a Directors > Andrew Levine Japanese-speaking population. • PressBox is published monthly by Word Smith Media Ventures, LLC, 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 300, Baltimore, Maryland 21211 WHAT DO YOU THINK? (410-366-7272). Copyright 2016 by Word Smith Media Ventures, LLC.