Cal Ripken, Jr., 1994 Score Burger King #7

I finally organized the pile of cards that I bought last weekend. While I couldn't quite complete the 2004 Maryland Lottery set, I did compile a few Cal Ripken, Jr. oddball sets. One of them was the nine-card set that includes this card and was sold at Burger King in 1994. This is my favorite card in the set, as it offers a fantastic panoramic view of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. I'm thankful that my eyes are still sharp enough to read the scoreboard, which easily allows me to figure out which game is pictured. Harold Baines is at bat, and he's facing White Sox reliever Roberto Hernandez. It looks like Chicago has scored in double digits, unfortunately. I can also see from the out-of-town scoreboard in right field that Marquis Grissom has hit an RBI single for the Expos. To Baseball Reference!

Our featured game took place on Sunday, July 11, 1993. Incidentally, that was two days after I attended my first game in Camden Yards, which had a much more pleasant result for the O's. On this day, the Birds dropped an 11-5 decision to the Pale Hose. They reached that year's Cy Young Award winner Jack McDowell for 10 hits and 5 runs, including a couple of home runs by Baines and Ripken, but were undone by a subpar start by Jamie Moyer, who couldn't get through the fifth inning and allowed five runs of his own. Todd Frohwirth fanned the flames in relief, coughing up five more runs in just an inning and one-third. Frank Thomas had two home runs, and Ozzie Guillen (of all people) took Frohwirth deep as well. Bo Jackson also chipped in with three RBI. The Orioles fell to 47-41, but were still only one and a half games out of first place in an American League East that lacked a runaway leader.

This photo comes from the bottom of the ninth inning. In his second inning of work, Hernandez got Harold Reynolds to ground out, but a Mark McLemore double and an infield single by Mike Devereaux have kept the O's on life support. Baines will walk to load the bases for Cal, who unfortunately lines out to second baseman Craig Grebeck for a game-ending double play.

I'm always kind of bummed out when I pinpoint the game featured in a baseball card photo, and it turns out that the Orioles lost that game. Obviously that's a likely outcome in recent years. So it goes.