Sammy Stewart, 1986 Donruss #270

For whatever reason, the topic of drug abuse doesn't come up very often in conjunction with baseball. I'm not talking about performance-enhancing drugs, of course. I'm also not referring to alcohol abuse, which seems to be a serious and fairly frequent problem that gets brushed off until a team wants to make an example of somebody. But the only current major leaguer who I can recall who has struggled with hardcore drugs is Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, a former #1 draft pick who nearly lost everything to his alcohol, cocaine, and crack addictions before making a remarkable recovery. In his second season in the major leagues since his comeback, Hamilton is looking like a great success story.

Sammy Stewart is not nearly so lucky.

A go-to guy in the Oriole bullpen for much of the 1980s, Stewart had no drug problem during his ten-year career in the majors. It was only when the Cleveland Indians released him in October 1987 that Sammy looked for something to fill the void. A few months later, he found the rush and excitement he'd been missing, and unfortunately he found it in crack cocaine. Though the imposing righthander had compiled some impressive statistics on the diamond (2.32 ERA in 1981, no runs allowed in 12 postseason innings,7 straight strikeouts in his ML debut), he's spent the past two decades racking up numbers of a more disheartening nature:

26 arrests
43 criminal charges
6 incarcerations

He's currently serving jail time in North Carolina. He's lost the three million dollars or so that he earned on the mound. He's lost his 1983 World Series ring, his home, and most of all his family. Sammy Stewart is a sick man who would have done anything to get money for his next high. He has a daughter with cystic fibrosis, and he used to play upon the sympathies of his friends and neighbors to borrow cash. His story is equal parts pitiable and despicable, and it's been told much more eloquently in other places.

The thing that really struck me in reading up on Sammy Stewart was his age. He's fifty-three, just a few weeks younger than my father. I can't imagine being in the position of Alicia, Stewart's daughter. What would I do - what would you do - if you happened upon your father and he was dirty and disheveled, his skin actually yellowed from the abuse he'd inflicted upon himself? How would you react if you tried to offer him food, only for him to refuse and to ask for money instead?

I don't have the answers. I hope that Sammy truly has hit rock bottom, and that it's not too late for him to start climbing back up.

Sammy Stewart, 1983 Fleer #74

I'm back from the beach, reluctantly. It was great to have a chance to spend seven straight days doing as little as possible, and the lack of an open wireless connection at the apartment we rented even forced me to take a vacation from the Internet. I'll be the first to admit that this was a good thing, on balance. Of course, it meant that last week's blog posts were even more minimal than I'd intended, since I left them to the last minute and had to post them during the week from my sister's iPhone with no accompanying text. Fortunately, my hopes that the seven great Eddie Murray cards that I chose would speak for themselves seemed to be well-founded. Thanks to everyone who added their own commentary in my absence! By the way, I did have a chance to double back and post the image that I'd intended to use for Wednesday's post, so go give it a look. Now that I'm back in Baltimore, you've all got my full attention for another three and a half weeks...then it's off to San Diego for another long weekend, and you'd better believe that I've already started that countdown!

When I finally checked my email this afternoon, I found the usual batch of reader comments from my recent posts, but there was also a new comment left on a much older post. This happens from time to time, and in this case I'm going to call your attention to it. Last Tuesday, an anonymous commenter identifying herself as Sammy Stewart's oldest sister Linda weighed in on my April 13, 2008 entry, which highlighted Stewart and his post-baseball struggles with drug abuse and his subsequent incarceration. Per Linda's comment:

"I am Sammy's oldest sister, Linda and I would like for all of you to know that Sammy is doing wonderful. He's been in prison for over 3 years now and we are trying to get that sentence reduced or even clemency for him. Sammy has changed back to the man he once was, all drugs out of his system for 3 years now, he will look you in the eye and he is interested in what you've got to say. I think God that I have my brother back. Sammy is a wonderful man, a big heart and a great sense of humor. He's never known a stranger. Drugs ruined my brothers life and one of the worst things about this is that I had to watch our parents suffer and worry about Sammy, they were heartbroken. They are both dead now but I know in my heart that they are helping Sammy through these years. I think 8 or 9 years for habitual felon is pretty drastic and with the way the NC prison system being overloaded and underbudget they are going to need to let some of these types of offenders out. It's costing the gov way to much money. My brother has been through several classes, has a culinary school certificate, he is singing solos at church and all in all he is making the best of his time. He's helping the other guys in there also. He gets along with everyone and everyone likes him. I have written a letter to the gov of NC hoping for clemency so any prayers would be greatly appreciated. I love my brother, I don't like some of the things he did but he's human and he does deserve another chance. I know that if he gets out of there he can be a productive part of our society. He loves to work with kids and that's one of his hopes, of course he still loves baseball so he would love to work with the teams in any capacity. Sammy never hurt anyone other than himself and of course the people that love him so I think his sentence was toooo long. I would be interested in talking to any about Sammy anytime. Good thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Linda Banks"

Assuming that the commenter is who she claims to be (you never can be sure, but I'd like to think no one would exploit such a sensitive situation), I'd like to thank her for taking time out of her day to check in with a first-hand account, especially one that features such encouraging news. Everyone deserves a fresh start in life, and I continue to hope that Sammy makes the most out of the time that he has left in this world.

Sammy Stewart, 1981 Donruss #474

Sadly, the Orioles family lost another notable name over the weekend, as Sammy Stewart was found dead in Hendersonville, NC on Friday. He was 63 years old.

Stewart, a powerful 6'3" righthander, burst onto the scene on September 1, 1978. Tabbed to start against the White Sox in his big league debut, he set a rookie record that still stands by striking out seven consecutive batters from the second inning to the fourth. Though he was never able to gain a foothold in the deep Baltimore starting rotation, Sammy pitched effectively in a variety of roles during his seven full seasons with the team, posting a 51-45 record, 42 saves, and a 3.47 ERA (114 ERA+). Most notably, he led the American League with a 2.32 ERA during the strike-shortened 1981 season, when he logged 112.1 innings in 29 games despite making only three starts. In the 1979 and 1983 postseasons, he allowed no runs in 12 innings across six appearances. He even picked up a save in Game Three of the 1983 ALCS, yielding just one hit and one walk in four innings after relieving starter Mike Flanagan. Sammy was by all accounts a good and affable teammate, according to the memories that several prominent ex-Orioles shared in this obituary by the Baltimore Sun.

Sammy's career was short-lived after the O's traded him to Boston for the 1986 season. He spent one year with the Red Sox, followed by a partial season in Cleveland's bullpen. As I've mentioned on this blog before, his life away from the diamond was full of struggles. He lost two children to the effects of cystic fibrosis - son Colin passed away in 1991 at age 11, and daughter Alicia was 34 when she died in 2016. In between these two tragedies his life was derailed by drug addiction, leading to homelessness and an eventual six-year incarceration in his native North Carolina. Stewart was released in 2013, and seemed to have cleaned himself up and found peace. He remarried, and worked to build a better relationship with his daughter. And now, just a few years later, he's gone. I just hope he's truly found that peace that eluded him for so long.

Sammy Stewart, 1985 Topps #469

I'll begin this entry with a heartfelt apology to anyone who might have assumed that this would be a full Joe Orsulak week. Never assume, folks.

Early this morning, Dan Connolly printed a letter from former Orioles pitcher Sammy Stewart on the Baltimore Sun's Orioles Insider blog. Stewart is currently incarcerated at the Buncombe Correctional Center in Asheville, NC due to a felony drug charge levied in 2006. It sounds like he's truly contrite and hopes for a fresh start when he's released from prison, which could be as soon as January 2013. In the letter, he mourns the untimely death of his teammate and friend Mike Flanagan, and also pays tribute to the other O's of his era who have left us. It is definitely worth a read, and if you would like to offer some words of encouragement to Sammy, he also provided his address. I'll reprint it here for convenience's sake:

Samuel Stewart, 0390745
PO Box 18089
Asheville, NC 28814

Let me know if any of you write to him. I'm planning on doing so, and I'd be glad to know if he responds to you. We all deserve second chances, and I'm optimistic that Sammy will make the most of his when the time comes.

Sammy Stewart, 1981 Topps #262

Alright folks, I'm on the road again - well, nearly. Dark and early tomorrow morning, I'll be accompanying my girlfriend home to Charlotte, NC to meet her family. Eight hours in the car each way seems almost as daunting as being put under the microscope by the girl's loved ones, but at least she's the one driving. Despite having lived in the Mid-Atlantic for all of my 30 years, I have never once visited North Carolina. I'm excited to absorb some of the local color, although my significant other says she prefers the mountains of Asheville in Western Carolina, where she attended college as an undergrad. Asheville is also the birthplace of Sammy Stewart, the former O's relief ace who is currently incarcerated in his hometown but hopes to be released from prison next January after serving a six-year sentence for a number of drug offenses. It's been about a year since Sammy reached out to the Baltimore Sun, so hopefully he's still on the right path.

Sammy Stewart, 1986 Fleer #289

Do you think Sammy Stewart enjoyed the humid summers in Baltimore? I'm just asking.

Vintage Fridays: Mark Corey, John Flinn, and Sammy Stewart, 1979 Topps #701

Why did Topps go with the mug shot approach to their prospects cards in 1979? It doesn't do anybody any favors, especially when you're rocking that seedy Mark Corey mustache. As I mentioned several years back, Mark Corey got shunted onto these "prospects" cards for three years running, and never had a Topps card all to himself. The same goes for John Flinn, whose only other appearance in a Topps set came in 1981, when he was given lip service as a Brewers "Future Star", along with Ed Romero and future manager Ned Yost. Flinn was Baltimore's second-round pick in January 1973, a righthander who debuted in 1978 but pitched only 69 innings as a reliever for the O's and Brewers in 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1982. He had a 5-2 record, two saves, and a 4.17 ERA. His most lasting contribution to Birdland? The Orioles traded him to the Brewers after the 1979 season in exchange for utility infielder Lenny Sakata.

As for Sammy Stewart, he made good on his promise, but ran into trouble after his career ended. Now he's back on his feet, thankfully.

Arnie Portocarrero, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #366

I'm continually amazed by the wide variety of people that find, and comment on, this blog. I've come to rely on my small but loyal group of regulars, who provide encouragement and insight and let me know that I'm not just writing to keep myself occupied for a bit. But it's the random visitors that remind me of the improbable enormity of the Internet. Anyone can find anything if they know where to look.

Just today, I received a comment on my August 26th Fernando Valenzuela entry, which was actually all about my experiences at a couple of very small performances given by Brian Vander Ark. The comment came from Second Motion Records, who apparently just signed Brian and are re-releasing his three solo albums. They were complementary of my post, and of course they were plugging their artist, but I don't mind. After all, I'd done the same thing myself, so it was relevant.

Last Thursday's brief eulogy of Todd Cruz apparently elicited a comment from his godchild, who shared a few words about the impact that "Uncle Todd" had on their life.

Back in April, I wrote about Sammy Stewart and his tragic drug addiction and incarceration. One anonymous commenter apparently had personal knowledge of Sammy and his family, and indicated that the former pitcher was working hard to turn his life around and repair his strained relationships. I hope for his sake - and the sake of his family - that Stewart is in earnest.

One of my earliest entries was a somewhat playful bit, wondering about the origins and implications of Arnie Portocarrero's name. I hadn't thought about it for months, but just a few weeks ago I was notified of a new comment. One of Arnie's children was doing a Google search for their father's name, and stumbled upon my blog. He or she corrected my crack genealogy: Portocarrero is Spanish, not Italian. They also offered assurance that Arnie was a great man, and not slow. The "slow children" remark I had made in that post was an offhand reference to Arnie, the mentally retarded character played by Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Based on the tone of the resultant comment, I assume no offense was taken.

These comments I've highlighted are a reminder that this blog doesn't exist in a bubble. The players that I write about are real, live people with children, nieces and nephews, friends, and (of course) fans. I can't take it for granted that I can write whatever I want with no consequences. For the most part, I take pride in keeping my opinions civil and respectful. When I want to bring humor to a subject, I do my best to put the emphasis on the silly rather than the cruel. I don't think I've censored myself, but I'm going to try to make sure that someone really deserves my vitriol before I tear them down (see: Ponson, Sidney).

If you're reading this blog, whether you're a friend, family member, an Oriole player, or just a collector and/or fan like myself, I'm glad to have you.

Tippy Martinez, 1982 Fleer #171

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite people in the whole world. She also happens to be the woman that I'm going to marry in...53 days?! Can it really be that soon? Yes it can, as the increasingly urgent items on my to-do list remind me on a daily basis.

I wasn't able to find any Orioles past or present who were born on July 23, which just proves that Janet is one-of-a-kind. But I can tell you what the O's were doing on her birthday, at the risk of divulging a lady's age. It was the summer of 1980, and Baltimore was looking for a four-game series win at Minnesota. They squeaked out an 8-7 victory in a back-and-forth contest. Ken Singleton was 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI, and Dan Graham drove in three runs on a pair of sacrifice flies and a single. Scott McGregor gutted it out into the seventh inning without his best stuff, as he yielded six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks. However, the Birds gave him enough run support that he exited with a 7-5 lead. Sammy Stewart yielded the sixth run, but stranded the tying run at first base. Singleton delivered an insurance run in the top of the eighth, and it proved necessary. Stewart allowed a single and a walk in the ninth, and Earl Weaver called upon Tippy Martinez to put out the fire. The lefty did just that, giving up a sacrifice fly to Roy Smalley but ending the game with a ground ball to second base off the bat of Ken Landreaux.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some wedding invitations to address.

Eddie Murray, 1986 Fleer Sluggers vs. Pitchers #25

I was not pleased with the Orioles' 10-3 thrashing at the hands of Josh Hamilton the Rangers last night, but if you're going to get blown out, you might as well make a little history. No player had hit four home runs in a single game in nearly a decade, and since 1900, only 14 have done it. Sure, if someone were going to go deep four times in an O's game, I'd rather it be one of our own players. But Josh Hamilton did something incredible last night, and I'm glad that the sparse crowd at Camden Yards saluted him for it.

Unfortunately, that's the second time the Birds have been on the wrong end of a four-homer game. The first was when Jerry Walker, Arnie Portocarrero, and Ernie Johnson combined to surrender four big flies to Rocky Colavito on June 10, 1959. But no Oriole batter has ever gone deep four times in one game. I got to wondering how many close calls they've had, so I swung by Baseball-Reference to investigate. The O's have had 18 games in which a player hit 3 home runs, most recently Nick Markakis' showcase game on August 22, 2006 against the Twins. The full list:

Boog Powell (1): August 10, 1963 - The first three-homer game in O's history ends in a 6-5 loss to the Senators, as all three of Boog's clouts were solo shots.

Boog Powell (2): June 27, 1964 - Boog provides all of the offense with another trio of solo homers in support of Milt Pappas as the Birds top Washington 3-1.

Boog Powell (3): August 15, 1966 - The last of the burly first baseman's three-homer games was his best, as he finally tossed in a two-run shot and added a single for good measure. Overall he was 4-for-5 with all four RBI in a 4-2 win at Boston. His WPA (Win Probability Added) was an astronomical .920!

Curt Blefary: June 6, 1967 - "Clank" had an interesting day, taking Pete Cimino of the Angels deep in his first at-bat before being put out each of his next three times up. Home runs number two (a two-run shot) and three (a grand slam) came in the final two innings, as the O's turned a 5-4 nail-biter into a 16-4 romp.

Paul Blair: April 29, 1970 - I definitely didn't see this one coming. Motormouth went 3-for-6 and drove in six in an 18-2 rout of the White Sox. Of course, I'd also forgotten that Blair had 134 career homers and a season high of 26 in 1969, so there was some pop in that bat.

Bobby Grich: June 18, 1974 - Orioles 10, Twins 1. Bobby had a chance for a fourth in the ninth inning, but Tom Burgmeier got him to ground out to third base to strand a pair of runners in scoring position.

Don Baylor: July 2, 1975 - Here's an interesting one. Baylor left the yard in each of his first three at-bats, so he was sitting on three home runs after four innings. But he fouled out to third in the fifth inning, was plunked by Bob Reynolds following a Jim Northrup two-run homer in the seventh, and was walked by John Hiller in the ninth. Orioles 13, Tigers 5.

Eddie Murray: August 29, 1979 - Now we're back into the high-leverage stuff. Steady Eddie's first three-homer game accounted for all of the O's runs in a 7-4 win at Minnesota.

Eddie Murray (2): September 14, 1980 - Rats. The Birds didn't bother putting anyone on base ahead of him, and three solo shots added up to a 4-3 loss in 13 innings at Toronto.

Dan Ford: July 20, 1983 - Disco Danny! Nobody on base for his unlikely three-peat, but Sammy Stewart and Tim Stoddard were untouchable in relief of Mike Boddicker as the Orioles topped the Mariners 4-2. Ford singled and walked as well, giving him a perfect day.

Eddie Murray (3): August 26, 1985 - You knew he'd be back. Eddie goes 4-for-5 with a walk and NINE RBI in Baltimore's 17-3 laughter over the Angels.

Lee Lacy: June 8, 1986 - 52,021 packed Yankee Stadium on a Sunday to see Lacy and the O's outslug the Yanks 18-9. Lee went 4-for-6, adding a two-run single to give him six RBI in all. His second home run that day came off of rookie Doug Drabek.

Juan Beniquez: June 12, 1986 - Just four days after Lacy's power display, Beniquez also feasted on Yankee pitching thrice in a game. Three solo shots once again added up to a Birds loss, by a final of 7-5. Juan had only six home runs total in his lone season in Baltimore.

Randy Milligan: June 9, 1990 - Six RBI for the Moose in a 10-1 shellacking of the Yankees. Remind me again why the Orioles needed Glenn Davis?

Cal Ripken, Jr.: May 28, 1996 - It took the Iron Man 15 years to crack this list. He drove in eight runs in a 12-8 win at Seattle, and his seventh-inning grand slam off of Mike Jackson put the O's ahead for good. Believe it or not, he and brother Billy each went deep in the ninth inning of this one.

Roberto Alomar: April 26, 1997 - Robby went 4-for-4 with three home runs, a single, a sac fly, and six RBI as the Birds rolled over the Red Sox, 14-5. Random note: Rule 5 draft pick Mike Johnson earned his first career save with three shutout innings in relief of Jimmy Key.

Albert Belle: July 25, 1999 - I remember watching this one at my aunt and uncle's house. Albert homered, walked, and singled in three trips to the plate against Angels starter Chuck Finley. It was a seesaw game, with the Angels taking a 3-0 lead, the O's tying, and the Angels going up 7-3. Belle swung the momentum in the Orioles' favor with a three-run homer off of Mark Petkovsek, then finished the comeback with a two-out solo shot off of closer Troy Percival to send it to extra innings. There was one out in the 11th and a runner on first when Shigetoshi Hasegawa hit Belle with a 1-0 pitch. The mercurial outfielder originally refused to take his base, trying in vain to convince the umpire that he wasn't hit so that he could take his hacks. Ultimately, he went down to first base. A Will Clark walk loaded the bases with two out, and Cal Ripken, Jr. delivered the walkoff win with a single.

Nick Markakis: August 22, 2006 - This is a fun box score. The Orioles hit five solo home runs off of Carlos Silva in the first six innings; the others were hit by Brian Roberts and Corey Patterson. Future Oriole Willie Eyre finally solved Markakis in the sixth inning, coaxing a flyout to left field. The Birds topped the Twins, 6-3. It's also worth noting that Nick has only one two-homer game, and that also came against Minnesota, back in 2008.

Vintage Fridays: Sammy Stewart, 1980 Topps #119

This will probably be my last blog entry for a week or more. Tomorrow at 3:00 PM, I will be pledging my love to Janet in front of 100 of our closest friends and family. Then we'll be having one hell of a party: drinks, dinner, and dancing on the farm. We'll probably collapse into our hotel bed by 11, then jump in the car Sunday morning to drive the three hours up to my family's lakeside cottage in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It'll be a week of decompressing, far away from everybody, and enjoying one another's exclusive company as we get a head start on spending the rest of our lives together. It's hard to believe that this moment has nearly come, even though we've been counting down since there were 90-some days left til the wedding. But I can safely say that I have no doubt that Janet is the ideal partner in crime for me. See you all soon. Be good to one another.

Vintage Fridays: Jim Palmer, 1974 Topps #40

A few days ago the Commish (Bob) asked if the Orioles had ever opened the season on a Friday. It certainly didn't seem like the usual practice to me, so I decided to do a little digging. It turns out that they've played six Opening Day games on Fridays, but none in my lifetime:

April 6, 1973: The Orioles beat the Brewers 10-0 in Baltimore. Dave McNally three-hit the Brew Crew while striking out only one! Don Baylor (4-4, 3 RBI) fell a single short of the cycle and Brooks Robinson homered twice and drove in four.

April 5, 1974: The O's topped the Tigers 3-2 in Baltimore. Jim Palmer pitched around 11 base runners and Grant Jackson struck out Jim Northrup with the bases loaded to earn the save. Baylor was the hero again, driving in the winning run in the top of the ninth with a single off of Mickey Lolich.

April 9, 1976: In a matchup of Hall of Fame pitchers, Palmer and the Birds squeaked past Fergie Jenkins and the Red Sox 1-0 in Memorial Stadium. A Bobby Grich single and a Fred Lynn throwing error allowed the only run to score. Dyar Miller retired Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, and Carlton Fisk in order in the ninth inning to record an impressive save.

April 7, 1978: The Orioles proved fallible in Friday openers, as they traveled to Milwaukee and got pounded 11-3. Mike Flanagan and Tim Stoddard were both hit hard, and errors by Lee May and Mark Belanger led to runs. It took a three-run gasp by the O's bats in the ninth to avoid a shutout. Eddie Murray homered.

April 6, 1979: What do you know? Palmer wins again, 5-3 over the visiting White Sox. This time he went the distance, with a two-run single by Rich Dauer lending a helping hand. The Birds clawed for their runs, as a Ken Singleton double provided the only extra-base hit.

April 10, 1981: Orioles 5, Royals 3. Reigning Cy Young Steve Stone picks up the W in what would be his final season, but allows eight hits (including two home runs) and two walks and has to be pulled after five innings. Sammy Stewart does the heavy lifting, tossing four innings of shutout relief for the save. Singleton and Rick Dempsey contribute solo home runs, and the host O's take the lead for good on consecutive bases-loaded walks by Murray and Doug DeCinces in the fifth inning.

So there you have it. The Birds are 5-1 in Friday openers, though they did lose their only previous Friday opener on the road. Jim Palmer notched three of his team-record five Opening Day wins in these situations. If you're worried about an April 1 game being a bad omen, I can tell you that the O's have had two games that counted on that date and both were blowout wins: 10-1 over the Royals in 1998 and 10-3 over the Yankees in the 2002 opener. Of course, the team finished both of those seasons with losing records, so the outlook is hazy for 2011. What say we just win tonight and worry about the meaning of it all later?

Mike Boddicker, Mark Corey, and Floyd Rayford, 1981 Topps #399

9/23/08: Somehow I had a brain cramp and didn't hit the "Publish Post" button last night. Forgive me.

Topps' Future Stars/Top Prospects/Rookies/etc. cards have always been a delicious exercise in guesswork. In 1982, the Reds' Future Stars were Scott Brown, Geoff Combe, and Paul Householder. Strike three, you're out. The 1980 Mets card featured Dan Norman, Jesse Orosco, and Mike Scott. Two outta three ain't bad. In this instance, they hit on one of the three up and coming Orioles youngsters. Mike Boddicker anchored the team's staff as they won their third World Series in 1983, and was an effective pitcher for a decade. But what of the others?

Floyd Rayford hung around into the late 1980s, and peaked with a .306 average and 18 home runs in 1985, so he at least had something of a career. Plus, as I've pointed out, he was an endless source of entertainment for my uncle. So even though "Honey Bear" is something less than a household name today, he was a better choice for Future Stardom than, say, 1987 selection Tim Pyznarski.

Mark Corey? Well, somebody at Topps just refused to give up on him. 1981 marked the third consecutive year that they had earmarked him as a Future Star. In 1979, he appeared in an Orioles Prospects triptych with John Flinn and Sammy Stewart. The following year, he joined Dave Ford and Wayne Krenchicki as the would-be O's greats. As you may have guessed, Mark never quite made it to the dizzying heights that Topps forecast for him. An 0-for-8 in 1981 slammed the lid shut on his career, leaving him with a career batting average of .211.

But he still had more of a career than 1995's Coming Attraction, Brian Sackinsky.

Rich Dauer, 1981 Topps #314

O's fans, how can we distract ourselves on an off-day after being no-hit? Well, I'm sure it would help if I stopped bringing it up, but it's too late for that. I did a bit of Googling and learned that the Orioles' record for most hits in a game was set on August 28, 1980. On a Thursday evening in Memorial Stadium, the Birds outslugged the Angels 13-8 as the two teams combined for 40 hits: 26 for Baltimore and 14 for California. Eight of the 11 O's to bat had multi-hit games, and only John Lowenstein (0-for-3 after replacing Ken Singleton in the fifth inning) had an oh-fer. Rich Dauer and Gary Roenicke each had a team-high four hits, with Roenicke rapping three doubles. If you're wondering why the Orioles didn't score even more runs than their baker's dozen, they did fail to hit a single home run and were victimized by a pair of double plays. Still, their six-run, nine-hit fifth inning was instrumental in helping the O's endure an uncharacteristically rocky outing by winning pitcher Jim Palmer, who allowed six runs on 11 hits, two walks, and a hit batter in six and a third innings. Sammy Stewart got the last eight outs, but also gave up another two runs.

Look, I'm not greedy. I'll settle for, say, 10 runs and 15 hits tomorrow. What do you say, guys?

Tim Stoddard, 1983 Fleer #75

No, the Orioles' ongoing backslide into crapulence hasn't driven me away from blogging just yet. I was out of town for the holiday weekend, attending Chikara Pro Wrestling's King of Trios tournament in scenic Easton, PA. Because I am the undisputed master of time management, I waited until 90 minutes prior to my departure to try to fit in: yardwork, a shower, packing, and blogging. Guess which of those activities fell by the wayside.

Now that I'm trying to get back to my usual routines, I've got a thoroughly useless fact about the 1983 Fleer Orioles team set for you. There are a whopping six cards featuring O's pitchers without their hats. The rogue's gallery consists of both Dennis and Tippy Martinez, Scott McGregor, Jim Palmer (of course), Sammy Stewart, and...Tim Stoddard? Hey, when in Rome. Anyhow, there are no Oriole position players in this set who appear capless, which makes things even quirkier. Maybe the pitchers had a No-Hat Wednesday and the hitters weren't invited. It makes as much sense as any other explanation.

Jim Palmer, 2010 Topps History of the World Series #HWS-14

Yesterday I mentioned that there were some things rattling around in my head without an outlet during my weeklong sabbatical from the serious business of card blogging. For instance, Saturday I watched a replay of Game 3 of the 1983 American League Championship Series on MASN. The game took place on Friday, October 7, 1983, with Mike Flanagan picking up the win with five innings of one-run ball to give the O's a 2-1 series advantage over the White Sox. The Oriole offense battered Rich Dotson early and often and tacked on some late runs to make it an 11-1 laugher. Sammy Stewart got an old-fashioned save with four shutout innings of relief. It's a game that an O's fan would certainly like to relive once in a while, and it was a nice way to remember Flanagan.

But no one was laughing after two bench-clearing incidents. In the bottom of the fourth, Flanny came too far inside with a curveball and drilled Chicago slugger Ron Kittle on his already-gimpy left knee, and he had some cross words for the lefty. Home plate umpire Nick Bremigan immediately cinched Kittle in a bearhug, helping to defuse the tension. But the next inning, Dotson got two quick outs and then plunked A.L. MVP Cal Ripken, Jr. in the ribs. Cal immediately tossed his bat aside and took his base grinning and showing no signs of pain, seeming to goad the opposing pitcher. In the NBC announcing booth, Bob Costas and Tony Kubek attempted to read Ripken's lips, and thought that he shouted to Dotson: "Is that all you've got?" When the next pitch dusted Eddie Murray (who had belted a three-run homer in his first at-bat) off the plate, the switch-hitting first baseman wasn't nearly so jovial. He and the Pale Hose starter got into a shouting match, and everyone spilled out onto the field again, though again no punches were thrown. After much deliberation, the umpires decided that both teams had had their say and they issued official warnings. Compare this to the current state of things, when home plate umps jump up and issue warnings the first time a player gets plunked, either offering no consideration of context or leaving the scales uneven.

I was buried in my laptop by the time the Birds came to bat in the eighth with a 6-1 lead. But I snapped to attention when something else unusual happened. Designated hitter Ken Singleton, 36 years old and one season away from retirement, was intentionally walked after Murray had walked and stolen second (a surprising feat in itself!). Kenny was then lifted for a pinch runner: pitcher Jim Palmer, himself a week shy of his 38th birthday! I suppose he couldn't have been slower than Singleton, though he attempted only one steal in his lengthy career (making it safely in 1971). Manager Joe Altobelli also left himself with some bench options for the end of the game, though the outcome wasn't much in doubt by that point. Anyway, not much came from that odd substitution. Palmer advanced to second base easily on Todd Cruz's RBI single, but he was stranded there. When the O's sent eight men to the plate in a four-run ninth, backup catcher Joe Nolan batted for Palmer.

There you have it: Jim Palmer, pinch runner. How come nobody told me about this?