Coffee Companion -- 5/5

Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with some reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine.

Running it back:

Jake Arrieta allowed one run in seven innings and Nick Markakis homered as the Orioles beat the Royals, 3-2, on Wednesday night. ... Alfredo Simon, who is on the restricted list while a suspect in a fatal shooting, will pitch for Double-A Bowie on Thursday. ... J.J. Hardy reported to the Orioles' minor league spring training complex in Sarasota for what he hopes will be the last time. ... Luke Scott doesn't believe that Barack Obama's birth certificate is legit. ... Jordan Williams signed with an agent and is entering the NBA draft, leaving the Terps with a frontcourt void. ...  Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome expects quarterback Joe Flacco to "take ownership" of the offense this season and make it his own. ... The Lightning captured a 5-3 win in Game 4 to complete a tidy four-game sweep of the Capitals.

Hitting the links:

1. Peter Schmuck has Cal Ripken's back [The Schmuck Stops Here]

2. With Luke Scott, the crazy only grows [The Loss Column]

3. An interview with Baseball America’s Jim Callis [Orioles Nation]

4. Ozzie Newsome is optimistic that Sergio Kindle will play for the Ravens [Ravens Insider]

5. Thoughts on the Ravens draft [Baltimore Sports and Life]

6. Ozzie Newsome is pretty pumped about getting Jimmy Smith and Torrey Smith [Ravens.com]

7. Lardarius Webb isn't giving his jersey number to Jimmy Smith [Ravens Insider]

8. Rashard Mendenhall tried to clarify his Tweets about Osama bin Laden [Mendenhall's blog]

9. Kevin Cowherd: Good luck in NBA, Jordan Williams -- you'll need it [Baltimore Sun]

10. Now what happens to the Maryland frontcourt? [Tracking the Terps]

11. It's reconstruction time for the Capitals [On Frozen Blog]

12. ... and then there was golf [Japers' Rink]

You said it:

"I like your reference of Kindle 'falling' to the Ravens." -- reader arkayy responds to a fellow reader in my post about ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay calling Jimmy Smith the steal of the draft

Video of the morning: 

Here are some Torrey Smith basketball highlights [hat tip to Baltimore Beatdown]

Send me your funny and/or interesting links, photos, YouTube videos, blogs, Tweets, comments, emails, ideas, leads, etc. If I deem them to be worthy for the blog, I’ll give you a plug. You can reach me at [e-mail] and twitter.com/mattvensel.