Terry Crowley, 1983 Topps #372

The way the Orioles have been hitting (or not hitting) lately, there are probably a few frazzled fans out there who are pining for the days of hitting coach Terry Crowley. I'm not quite that desperate, just for the record. But I did witness Ryan Flaherty snapping the O's 29-inning scoreless streak with a second-inning three-run homer off of Toronto's Marco Estrada last night...followed by the team failing to score again and dropping a 4-3 decision to the Jays. Now torrential rains have bumped tonight's game to the front half of a single-admission doubleheader tomorrow. Maybe the Birds have saved all of their hits for just such an occasion. And maybe I'll find a few hundred thousand dollars between the couch cushions.

Tippy Martinez, 1983 Topps #631

The Orioles pretty well had their way with the Yankees in 1976. Aside from pilfering Tippy Martinez, Scott McGregor, and Rick Dempsey from New York in a single trade, Baltimore also won the season series between the two teams, 13-5. The O's hadn't done so much damage to the Yanks in any season since, but today's 9-5 win was their 13th in 18 meetings in 2014. What's more, it officially eliminated Derek Jeter and company from postseason contention. For the second straight October, the Yankees will be spectators. That hasn't happened since 1992-1993, back when Buck Showalter was still toiling to restore winning baseball in the Bronx. (We'll forgive him for his youthful indiscretions.)

As you might remember, the Yankees knocked the Orioles out of the playoffs in 1996 and in 2012. The successes of 2014 don't quite make up for that, but we'll just see where October takes us.

Lenn Sakata, 1983 Topps #319

It's been a rough week and change for the Orioles. They've lost seven of nine, including their first four-game losing streak of the season (still ongoing). The hitters are scuffling, the starting pitchers are inconsistent, and the bullpen isn't untouchable any more. The O's are still clinging to a first-place tie in the East, but all five teams in the division are within five games of one another. There's little margin for error.

What the Birds need now is a good luck charm. Who better than the 3'7" pride of Honolulu, Lenn Sakata? If this heroic utility infielder with his bouncy tufts of black hair and his colossal shop-teacher glasses can't raise the spirits of the nicked-up Orioles, then I am all out of ideas. (Note: I may be all out of ideas. We'll know soon enough.)

Dan Ford, 1983 Topps #683

Yesterday was not only the Orioles' home opener, it was also the 28th anniversary of my first home opener...not that I was in attendance at Memorial Stadium that day. But there's a chance it was on the TV or radio at our old rowhome in Middlesex. It wasn't a pretty game by any definition. The O's lost to the Royals 7-2 in a sloppy game that featured two errors by each team. Kansas City hit three home runs (Jerry Martin, Willie Aikens, and George Brett); Baltimore hit into three double plays. Dan Ford, of all people, was the only member of the Birds with more than one hit. He went 2-for-4 with a double and scored both Oriole runs, but also muffed a fly ball to plate the first Royals run. Of course, the 1983 season ended on a much happier note, with the Orioles hoisting their third World Series trophy. I didn't know what was going on, but my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles were all happy. Every one of them rooted for the O's; some day, I would too.

I'm doing this bit of navel gazing tonight after reading a great blog post by Matt Taylor of Roar from 34. Yesterday Matt watched the home opener in his living room with his newborn son and reflected on the lessons from the game that he would want to share with his child. As you might expect, these lessons are about being not only a good fan, but also a good person. I love the turn of phrase in his opening sentence: "Orioles baseball has been a conversation between generations in my family". The same is true for me, and I suspect it's the case for many of you. Let's keep the conversation going, whether the subject is Dan Ford or Brooks Robinson or Zach Britton.

Scott McGregor, 1983 Topps #745

Scott McGregor is wearing long sleeves; judging from the green backdrop, I'd say he's likely pitching in Memorial Stadium on a chilly April afternoon. It's so unmercifully cold in Baltimore right now - and has been so for the past few weeks - that I would kill for some brisk early Spring weather. I'm sure I've discussed my intolerance for frigid temperatures and early sundowns before; simply put, I was born in August and I live for summer. The older I get, the less tolerant I am of winter's bitter indignities. Grasping for extra layers of clothing and blankets, commuting to and from work in the dark, shivering bitterly as I struggle to complete my thoughts, listening jealously as the school closings are reported on the radio, suffering from chapped lips and dry skin, eschewing any and all outdoor activity...these are a few of my least favorite things.

C'mon April...and make sure that June, July, and August follow closely behind.

Rick Dempsey, 1983 Topps #138

I've only sent two cards through the mail to be autographed by former players, but I've already learned that the results can be varied and unpredictable. I sent both cards, a Mike Boddicker and a Rick Dempsey, in March 2008. I received my signed Mike Boddicker card four weeks later, tucked neatly into the plastic toploader that I'd sent with it. I just received the Rick Dempsey card you see above, nearly a year after sending my request. It came back in the self-addressed stamped envelope I provided, but with no toploader. There's one more thing...

It's not the card I sent.

I mailed off a copy of the Dipper's 1981 Fleer card, a lovely one indeed. Fortunately, it wasn't my only copy, because there's no telling what has become of it. I'm happy to have gotten a response at all; after eleven months, I'd resigned myself to an ignored or lost autograph request. So where did this card come from?

It's most likely that Rick (or a family member) opened a pile of mail and there were other cards in the batch that got mixed together. Of course, I like my mother's explanation better; she suggested that he knocked over a soda, drenching my card and ruining it, and went scrambling for a replacement. If that's the case, I hope he realized that he might be able to make some money on eBay auctioning off a Rick Dempsey 1981 Fleer card with authentic Coke stains.

Thanks for the card, Rick, wherever you found it!

Earl Weaver, 1983 Topps #426

Earl Weaver may not exactly be a jolly old elf, but he certainly looks like one on this card, and that works for me. As promised, here are a few things I love about Christmas, which truly is my favorite time of year.

1. Time away from work. This year, I was lucky enough to get a two-week break.

2. Holiday specials. Here's a short article I wrote about some of my favorites.

3. Family traditions. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. Again, I'm going to be lazy (hey, it's Christmas) and link you elsewhere.

4. Food. Christmas means my mom's delicious sausage stuffing, and my sister's half-dozen different batches of cookies, and much more. I'm a food lover, and there's plenty to choose from right about now.

5. Parties. I'm usually a stick-in-the-mud (especially now that most of my friends are far away), and the holidays give me a good excuse to go be social. I've already been to three parties this year, and one more is in the offing.

6. Giving. I'm always eager to watch friends and family open their presents, to find out if I chose wisely. I've also donated to Penny Arcade's Child's Play Charity for the past five years, and I'm continually blown away by the huge numbers they pull in.

7. Getting. Honestly, who doesn't like receiving gifts?

Merry Christmas folks, and Happy Holidays if you celebrate something else, or even if you don't celebrate anything at all. I'll throw up something quick tomorrow, so you don't waste too much of your day reading my ramblings.

Jim Palmer, 1983 Topps #491

Today marks the blog entry that's been 365 days in the making, except for the fact that I didn't start this blog until January 1. I suppose that would mean that it's been 218 days in the making, but perhaps I'm getting off-track. Anyway, as I subtly mentioned in a previous post, today is my twenty-sixth birthday. I would have posted a card of one of the Orioles who shares this fine day with me, but one (John Wasdin) didn't stick around long enough to earn an Orioles card, and the other (Nelson Briles) is better saved for a future Vintage Friday. If you're interested in a more comprehensive list of MLB players born on the fifth day of the eighth month (and why wouldn't you be?), click here.


Today's card not only perfectly encapsulates the passage of time, showing Jim Palmer at the ages of nineteen and thirty-six (the second photo actually having been taken in 1982, coincidentally the year of my birth), but it also showcases the greatest pitcher in Orioles history. He also happens to have pitched three times on August 5, and excelled in all three performances. I should note that as a baby, I had a tiny Orioles tee with Palmer's #22 on it; I've seen the picture, but I foolishly gave it to my sister to scan a year ago and it may be lost to the ages now.

Palmer's first 8/5 start came in 1970, a Wednesday night game at Memorial Stadium. He dispatched of the Red Sox in two hours, allowing four hits and walking two while striking out seven batters (including Carl Yastrzemski twice). The O's won 3-0 behind Palmer (16-7)'s masterful pitching and a three-hit performance by outfielder Merv Rettenmund. But the pitcher helped his own cause as well, reaching base on a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by Boston pitcher Sonny Siebert in the second inning, and singling to left field in the fourth. The win was the fifth straight for the Birds, and allowed them to maintain a 9.5 game lead over the Yankees.

For an encore, Jim Palmer offered an eerily similar effort in 1975. This time it was a Tuesday night in Fenway, but again he shut out the Red Sox 3-0 in about two hours' time to improve his record to 16-7. The Sox would get the final laugh that year, making it to the World Series before falling to the Reds in an epic seven-game set, but for the night the second-place O's had closed within 7.5 games. Palmer permitted only three base runners all evening (two hits, one walk), and struck out eight Beantown batters. Bobby Grich and Brooks Robinson were responsible for the three O's runs, with each delivering an RBI single; Grich also lined a ball to shortstop Rick Burleson, who threw wildly to second base in an attempt to double off Al Bumbry; Bumbry would score the third and final run on that play. Former Tigers outfielder Jim Northrup contributed three hits to the Baltimore attack.

The Oriole ace's third and final gem in the series actually came on the very day I was born in 1982. It was a Thursday night tilt in Baltimore, first pitch arriving about two hours after I had. The third-place O's bested the A.L. West-leading Royals 5-1. Though Palmer (9-3) surrendered his first August 5th run, he once again went the distance, allowing three K.C. hits and one walk, and punching out seven opposing hitters. The sole blemish on his evening was a solo home run by George Brett, who would eventually join #22 in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Oriole offense was paced by Al Bumbry's leadoff home run and a three-run fourth inning off of Kansas City pitcher Vida Blue. Rick Dempsey walked with the bases loaded to force in a run, and Rich Dauer followed with a two-run single. Disco Dan Ford provided the exclamation point with an RBI single in the eighth inning.

While these three Jim Palmer masterpieces are each impressive on their own, when you tally them together the results are positively staggering. His pitching line on August 5 is as follows:

3 Games Started
3 Wins
3 Complete Games
2 Shutouts
27 Innings Pitched
9 Hits
4 Walks
22 Strikeouts
1 Earned Run
0.48 Walks + Hits Per Inning Pitched (That's one baserunner every two innings!)
0.33 Earned Run Average

For the record, these three games represented Jim's career wins number 55, 145, and 257.

As a reminder, the Orioles as a team are 29-20 on my birthday, which includes a 16-8 mark from 1982 through 2007. They'll try to tie a team best with their fifth consecutive August 5 win tonight in Anaheim. Starting pitcher Chris Waters makes his major league debut against Jon Garland. He's got some mighty large spikes to fill, but there's nothing wrong with a little blind faith now and then. I'll fill my evening with a celebratory dinner with my family, and meet you back here tomorrow.

Ken Singleton, 1983 Topps #85

The summer after I graduated high school, I spent a week in West Virginia with dozens of other Catholic youth group members from the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It was known as the Appalachia Workcamp, and we spent the week serving as handymen (and handywomen) for the underprivileged citizens of Preston County, one of the poorest counties in the United States. It was also a great opportunity to meet and bond with new people within our own camp. I loved the whole experience so much that I was making the trip for the third consecutive year. Every night, we would meet after dinner for a prayer session, often involving a group activity.

On one particular night, we divided into our work groups. Each person had a piece of paper with their name on it, and these sheets were passed around the group. Everyone wrote a word or phrase describing the person whose name was on the sheet, and then there was a discussion about the word choices. I've still got mine, and I couldn't begin to remember how others saw me for the most part. I'm sure there were run-of-the-mill niceties like "good listener", or "great sense of humor". But one in particular has stuck with me ever since. Terry, one of the adults in our group, said that I was "quietly competent". She was so precise in her phrasing, and it was such a simple concept. But I really took it to heart. Ultimately, it's a great thing to say about someone. How often do we worry that we're making a wreck of things, that we're bumblers, that we're going to fail at a task? Just to hear that I was able, that I was handling my business, it was a wonderful thing.

Ken Singleton is the very definition of "quietly competent". When baseball fans discuss the greatest players of the 1970s, Kenny's name is rarely uttered. But he finished in the top ten of MVP balloting four times during the decade (twice in the top three), and what's more impressive, he ranked sixth among all hitters in OPS+ with a strong 139. He was at or above league average for all but the final year of his career. Though he had a great power stroke, topping out at 35 home runs in 1979, his true expertise was his ability to draw the walk. This has traditionally been one of the most underrated skills for a hitter, even though the basic point of batting is to reach base. Ken never led his league in walks, but placed second six times. That's a lot of bases on balls.

But Ken Singleton has continued to practice quiet competence since retirement. He has been a color commentator for Yankees games on the YES Network for the past twenty years, and most O's fans aren't even angry with him. Ken provides a rare touch of class amongst the yammering ninny cheerleaders with whom he normally shares the press box.

I almost made it through this entry without saying anything nasty...but come on, it's the Yankees.

Tim Stoddard, 1983 Topps #217

When I started this blog, I had a notion in my mind that I would eventually do "theme weeks". Often I just pick a day's card as the mood strikes me, as long as I haven't used that player and/or year and brand of card recently. I'm all about variety. But in commenting on Tuesday's card, Steve from White Sox Cards pointed out that each player I'd chosen this week had played for one of the Chicago teams. Unbelievably, the players I'd had in mind for Wednesday and Thursday also had ties to the Windy City! From Saturday onward, I've had Dave Crouthers (who was traded to-but never played for-the Cubs), Phil Bradley (White Sox), Corey Patterson (Cubs), Jamie Moyer (Cubs), Mike Devereaux (White Sox), and Mike Morgan (Cubs). So for yesterday's card, I decided to go with the flow and choose another ex Chi-Sox player in Don Buford. Today I'm straddling two theme weeks by going with one more former Cubbie, Tim Stoddard.

I've got a handful of Stoddard cards, and I enjoy them all. There's just something about a 6'7", 235-pound pitcher with a walrus mustache that is inherently entertaining. Believe it or not, Tim's a two-sport athlete...and the second sport is not football. He started for the 1974 NCAA Championship basketball team at North Carolina State University. To date, the only other major league baseball player to even appear in a Final Four has been speedy outfielder Kenny Lofton. So hats off to Tim Stoddard.

Two-sport athletes would probably make an interesting theme week, but that's not what I have in mind. You see, my favorite giant relief pitcher is also a movie star, having appeared in 1993's Rookie of the Year. Regrettably, I can't remember his character's name, and he's credited as simply "Dodgers pitcher". Stoddard, who also acted as a technical advisor on the set, was well-cast as a hulking, intimidating hurler. He sported the same penetrating stare that you see in the card above, but was ultimately goaded into distraction by his twelve-year-old counterpart, protagonist Henry Rowengartner (as played by Thomas Ian Nicholas of American Pie fame)...

Yes, Tim Stoddard has the dubious honor of being the subject of the taunt, "Pitcher's got a big butt, pitcher's got a big butt!"

I can't help but imagine that if any batter had tried that against Stoddard in his prime, he would've gotten a fastball in the ribs for his trouble.