Larry Sheets, 1990 Score #111

So I've been missing in action for a week, but I've got a heck of a story. Friday, Janet and I drove down to Charlotte to visit her family over the long weekend. We were feeling snake-bit about traveling when the forecast called for more winter weather in the Mid-Atlantic (you might remember our misadventures one year ago), but Janet's grandmother is in poor health so we decided to go. We watched the weather reports closely on Saturday and Sunday, and finally resigned ourselves to cutting our stay short and leaving Sunday afternoon at 4:30. That allowed us to...drive directly into the snowstorm in southern Virginia at about 6:00 pm. Janet and I struggled with lessened visibility, often-slick road conditions, and speeds as low as 35 mph for the next five-plus hours, which made for lots of tense moments. With its two-lane structure and heavy tractor trailer traffic, I-81 can be a challenging drive even on clear days. Shortly after a restroom and coffee stop in Staunton, VA (birthplace of Larry Sheets!), we realized that the interstate wasn't getting any smoother and our ETA was climbing up to 2:30 AM. So by 11:30, we called it a night and checked into the Comfort Inn in Woodstock...and stayed until noon on Tuesday. Monday turned out to be a total wash, thanks to a daylong progression of snow, sleet, and torrential rain. When we finally did hit the road again, it was a clear shot home. We were back in Baltimore just before 3:30 yesterday afternoon, a mere 47 hours after we'd begun the trip. Next year, I think we'll be staying put for President's Day.

Jay Tibbs, 1990 Score #480

I bought two 36-card packs of 2015 Topps today, just to scratch that new-card itch. I figured that I'd post my first Orioles card of the current year. Naturally, I got none. Not a single Baltimore-centric card out of 72. In my indignation, I chose to feature a 1990 Score card of goony ol' Jay Tibbs, with all of the primary colors represented in the bright contrasting borders. Take that, 2015 Topps. I also determinedly sorted the new stuff by team, to see just how effective Topps was in trolling me:

-Five cards each: Dodgers (two inserts!), Giants, Phillies

-Four cards each: Astros, Indians, Nationals, Tigers

-Three cards each: Angels, Cubs, Padres, Pirates, Rockies

-Two cards each: Blue Jays, Brewers, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Mets, Rangers, Yankees

-One card each: Athletics, Braves, Mariners, Marlins, Rays, Red Sox, White Sox, Dr. Jonas Salk

-No cards: Orioles, Reds, Royals, Twins

Yep, I got an insert card highlighting the freaking polio vaccine, but nothing doing when it came to my favorite team. On the one hand, at least I didn't get bombarded with Yankees and Red Sox for a change, and there were no K.C. players to rub salt in the still-open wounds of the 2014 ALCS. On the other hand, four stinking Nationals? Barf. At least the irritation I felt after opening these packs strengthens my resolve to deny Topps more of my hard-earned dollars.

Mike Devereaux, 1990 Score #232

I chose this card today for the simplest of reasons. I like that the photographer captured the baseball in a blur of motion, presumably just after Mike Devereaux made contact with his bat. Maybe this picture depicts one of the four home runs Devo hit at Memorial Stadium in 1989. This is pretty clearly a day game, so we can rule out his walkoff two-run shot against California's Bob McClure on July 15. Ditto his solo shot off of Minnesota's Allan Anderson on Friday night, April 21. That leaves a pair of round-trippers hit at home that can't be ruled out: another game-winner, this time against Rangers reliever Jeff Russell in the tenth inning on Sunday, August 6; alternatively, it could be the two-run blast off of Toronto's Dave Stieb in the fourth inning of a 7-2 win over the Jays on Sunday, August 20.

It could also be any old routine fly ball out, but what's the fun in that?

Steve Finley, 1990 Score #339

In my Internet travels yesterday, I read something that I didn't know (or knew and forgot) about Steve Finley. The former Orioles (and Astros, Padres, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, and Rockies) outfielder was the first player in major league history to hit home runs in three different countries. Obviously, he hit plenty in the United States; the first was a three-run homer off of the Angels' Willie Fraser in Anaheim, California on April 25, 1989. He went deep in Canada for the first time a year later, hitting a game-tying solo shot against Toronto's Frank Wills at SkyDome on September 16, 1990. He had a chance to complete the unusual North American trifecta in 1996, when his Padres played a few games in nearby Monterrey, Mexico. In the bottom of the first inning on August 16, 1996, Finley touched up Mets pitcher Robert Person for a two-run homer. That was the first blow in a wild 15-10 win for San Diego, with Mexican great Fernando Valenzuela earning the win in a fitting touch. In the years since, several other players have joined Steve in his globe-trotting feats, thanks to MLB's now-annual tradition of opening the season with one overseas series. But Finley will always be the first.

Brian Holton, 1990 Score #177

In a quick search of my archives, I discovered that I've already commented on these dorky black turtlenecks twice before. I just can't help myself. The only thing that looks worse than a plain black turtleneck on a ballplayer is a turtleneck with thin orange stripes around the neck. I guess I should just be grateful that the Orioles didn't pair the striped turtleneck with the 1970s-1980s era polyester uniform pants and striped elastic waistbands. The O's came perilously close to being engulfed by horizontal stripes. The horror...

Mark Thurmond, 1990 Score #350

I fully realize that this photo was probably snapped while Mark Thurmond was taking his warmup tosses between innings. But it's funny to imagine that his center fielder (probably Mike Devereaux) has lost his focus in mid-game and is staring at a couple of pigeons scrambling for food behind the fence at Memorial Stadium. Normally, the home plate umpire would call time out when something odd happens on the field, but last night Devo yelled some very hurtful things at the ump after a questionable call, and the umpire has let his pettiness get the best of him. Let's just see what happens. Thurmond delivers his pitch to the batter - let's just say it's Pat Tabler - and it gets too much of the plate, allowing Tabler to hit it on a line to center field. The crack of the bat snaps Devereaux out of his momentary trance, but he can't track the path of the ball in time. It glances off of his head, but he avoids serious injury. He does not avoid the nickname "Birdbrain", which follows him around for the rest of the season.

Ben McDonald, 1990 Score #680

Earlier this evening, former Orioles #1 overall draft pick Ben McDonald represented the team as they chose high school pitcher Matt Hobgood fifth overall in the 2009 amateur draft. While many think of the lanky Cajun as a draft bust (after all, he went 78-70 with a 3.91 ERA in his career, hardly commensurate with the hype that surrounded him), he was one of the more successful #1 picks in O's history. A quick swing by Baseball Reference's draft database tells us that including supplemental picks, 27 of the club's 55 first-round picks have made it to the big leagues. That's a 49% success rate, though Brian Matusz (and perhaps Brandon Snyder) should push the club over the halfway point in the next year or two. Let's take a closer look at some of those picks, shall we?

-With Nick Markakis still in just his fourth major league season and Matt Wieters still learning on the fly, at this point I would declare Mike Mussina to be the best first-rounder selected thus far by Baltimore. The O's actually drafted Moose twice; in 1987, they'd tabbed him in the 11th round coming out of high school, but he didn't sign. Good things come to those who wait!

-A good runner-up is Bobby Grich, who the Birds selected in 1967 and coaxed away from UCLA, where he was slated to compete for the starting quarterback job. Grich was a six-time All-Star and the winner of four Gold Gloves at second base, and he's woefully underrated these days. Twenty picks later, the club selected Don Baylor with their second-round choice. Pats on the back all around!

-Brian Roberts was one of the supplemental picks, as he was taken with the 50th overall pick in 1999. That selection was awarded to the O's as compensation for losing Rafael Palmeiro to free agency. Thanks to the departures of Palmeiro, Roberto Alomar, and Eric Davis after the 1998 season, the team had 7 of the first 50 picks. In a perfect exhibition of both the uncertain nature of the draft and the shaky judgment of that particular front office, Roberts was the only one of those seven to have anything approaching a solid career. The others: Mike Paradis, Richard Stahl, Larry Bigbie, Keith Reed, Joshua Cenate, and Scott Rice. Eugh. For what it's worth, Erik Bedard was the team's sixth-round choice that year.

-Pitcher Pete Harnisch was also a supplemental pick, chosen 27th overall in 1987 as compensation for the loss of Rick Dempsey. He won 111 games in his career, though 95 of them came after the dag-blasted Glenn Davis trade.

-None of the team's 29 picks in 1983 made it to the major leagues. The #1 choice was high school pitcher Wayne Wilson. Whoops.

-Some notable players who were drafted in later rounds by the Orioles but did not sign: Bill Fahey, 1968 (Brandon's dad, made a career as a backup catcher); Dick Ruthven, 1969 (17-10, 3.55 for the 1980 World Champ Phillies); Rick Honeycutt, 1972 (LHRP lasted 21 years in the majors, mostly with the A's and Dodgers); Bob Melvin, 1979 (a decade later, finally joined the O's); Cecil Fielder, 1981 (future Tigers slugger turned down what must have been awesome bonus money as a 31st round pick); Walt Weiss, 1982 (1988 Rookie of the Year with A's); Dell Curry, 1985 (future NBA three-point specialist was also a RHP at Virginia Tech); Joey Hamilton, 1988 (won 74 games in 10 seasons); Mike Lansing, 1989 (.271 hitter with the Expos, Rockies, and Red Sox); Michael Young, 1994 (five-time All-Star SS for the Rangers); Mike MacDougal, 1996 and 1998 (O's attempted drafting the one-time Royals All-Star closer twice); Cliff Lee, 1998 (last year's AL Cy Young - what could have been!).

Curt Schilling, 1990 Score #581

You might not know that Curt Schilling was born in Anchorage, Alaska. It goes without saying that his hometown gets plenty of snow every year. Right about now, I wish they'd stop hogging it all and share a little with the Mid-Atlantic region. They're calling for snow tomorrow, but the timetable has been pushed back to "before noon", which means that it will just potentially make my commute to and from work especially annoying, rather than precluding me from even leaving the house to go to work. Sure, I just had a four-day weekend last week (Monday's MLK holiday and Tuesday's Inauguration), but I could always use another day off. This is looking like a busy work week, which is never fun. Besides, I want snow. They're calling for three inches, which is just plain piddly. We had a warm, green-and-brown Christmas. There have been plenty of miserable, 40-degree rain storms. We've had a few random flakes here and there that don't even qualify as flurries. There was a bit of white stuff early last week that I could generously describe as a dusting. Maryland, particularly the areas surrounding Baltimore, is no winter wonderland. I want to be buried, and revel in my hermitage.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go change into my pajamas, which will be inside-out. Do kids still do that when they want snow?

Phil Bradley, 1990 Score #24

10 Fun facts about Phil Bradley:

1. He quarterbacked the University of Missouri football team from 1978-1981, leading the Tigers to three bowl games and being named Big Eight Conference Player of the Year three times. He also set a then-conference record with 6,459 yards of total offense.

2. Phil grew up as an Orioles fan; his father coached future O's outfielder Al Bumbry at Virginia Tech, and Bumbry became a family friend and a mentor to the younger Bradley.

3. On August 8, 1988, Bradley (then with the Phillies) played in the first ever night game at Wrigley Field. He hit the first ever nighttime home run at the Cubs' stadium, but the game was rained out and the homer was taken out of the record books.

4. Phil is currently a Special Assistant to the General Manager for the MLB Players Association.

5. He played high school ball at Macomb (IL) High. The school later dedicated their baseball field in his name.

6. After wearing #29 early in his career with Seattle and the Phillies, Bradley wore #16 in 1989 with the Orioles. The following year, he wore #1, a number most identified with...Al Bumbry.

7. Phil was the final strikeout victim in Roger Clemens' record-breaking 20-strikeout game in 1986.

8. Phil's son, Curt, was a chip off the old block as a two-sport athlete at Northern Iowa University. He played wide receiver for the Panthers' football team and second base and outfield for the baseball team. In 2007, he hit .265 with a .419 on-base percentage for the Dodgers' rookie-class team in the Gulf Coast League.

9. On April 13, 1985, Bradley hit an "Ultimate Grand Slam": a game-winning shot in the bottom of the ninth with his team trailing by three runs. He hit the home run off of the Twins' Ron Davis.

10. Phil was head coach of the Westminster College Blue Jays from 1994-1996. The team won two conference tournaments during his tenure.