Earl Weaver, 2003 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic #26

Earl Weaver spent the weekend hanging out in Orioles camp down in Sarasota. He also spent time talking with the coaching staff, which just goes to show you that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Yesterday he spoke with Buck Showalter and Co. for half an hour, covering such topics as player development and umpires. In true Earl fashion, he let a flew words slip that the delicate souls at the Baltimore Sun couldn't repeat. He also joked around with the coaches he knew, including batting instructor and former Weaver pinch hitter deluxe Terry Crowley and current O's bench coach and ex-Yankee second baseman Willie Randolph. He praised Buck and the impact that he's already had on the team, and insisted that he checks the newspaper every morning during the season to see if the Birds won.   Earl even gave out a few autographs to Oriole pitchers Brad Bergesen and Jason Berken, who were excited to meet the 80-year-old Hall of Famer. For my part, I'm glad to know that not only does Earl still keep Baltimore and its team close to his heart, but that there are at least a few players who know their history.