A few weeks ago, 6'9" lefthander Mark Hendrickson had a tryout and came armed with a new sidearm delivery. It's still not a done deal, but the expectation is that Hendo will get a minor league deal and a spring training invite. That's all you can ask for as a 38-year-old who's been out of the game for a year. Mark always seemed like a nice guy, and as a native of York, PA he particularly enjoyed being with the Orioles. I'm always in favor of unconventional pitching deliveries, and the ex-NBA player angle makes him even more interesting than most journeyman relievers.
Earlier this week, another pair of former Birds got a chance to show their stuff. Fernando Tatis, also 38, was best known for slugging 34 homers for the Cardinals in 1999, but had a nice little 28-game stint with the O's in 2006 after a three-year absence from the majors. Afterward, he had two solid years and a not-so-solid one as a part-timer for the Mets, and hasn't been seen in the bigs since 2010. Tatis might be an intriguing spring training story, but I don't really see a spot for him on the O's bench. Then again, they've been talking seriously about a Wilson Betemit-Danny Valencia DH platoon, which is...ugh.
But the guy that's really got me daydreaming is Arthur Rhodes. Yep, at the same time the Orioles worked out Tatis, they also put the 43-year-old southpaw through the paces. Rhodes last pitched as a situational lefty for the Rangers and Cardinals in 2011, but I guess he's still got the itch. Now that Jamie Moyer's career options have apparently dried up, an Arthur Rhodes comeback might be my new pet cause for the 2013 season. How great would it be to have him back in orange and black? When the Orioles drafted Arthur in 1988, Brian Roberts was a sixth-grader. He made his major league debut on August 21, 1991...almost a full year before Manny Machado was born!
C'mon, Duke...pull the trigger and bring Arthur Rhodes back to Charm City.
I love the idea of a member of the 2013 Birds who also played for a Memorial Stadium Orioles team.
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