Ben McDonald, 1990 Upper Deck #54

I'm sure Ben McDonald looked tall enough without having to shoot him from ground level. After all, the dude is 6'7". It's also a bit jarring to see him in number 50; for most of Ben's Orioles career, he wore #19. When he debuted in 1989, he wore #23, since Larry Sheets was the incumbent #19. But I'm guessing that this photo came from a shoot shortly after the O's made him the first overall pick in the 1989 draft. They would have just handed him a jersey at random, as long as it fit. I'd assume - and hope - that he's wearing pants as well. Who's to say, though?

Kevin Hickey, 1990 Upper Deck #299

I've done more obituary posts than I care to count and it's always a struggle to find something meaningful to say. Kevin Hickey, who made the jump from the softball fields of Chicago to the mound at Comiskey Park, and was a key bullpen contributor for the 1989 Orioles after a five-year absence from the big leagues, is dead at age 56. He had spent the last decade back in his hometown, working as a batting practice pitcher for the White Sox. Kevin was an insulin-dependent diabetic, and on the eve of Chicago's season opener in Arlington, TX, he was found unresponsive in his hotel room. He reportedly slipped into a coma, and just passed away this morning.

Kevin's playing days were already over by the time I started paying attention to the Orioles, but in my near-annual viewing of the team's 1989 "Why Not?" highlights video, he came across as a free spirit who was responsible for helping to keep things loose in the midst of a surprise pennant race. He definitely chipped in on the field as well, turning in scoreless appearances 16 times in his first 18 tries that season and finishing the year with 7 holds, a pair of saves, a couple wins, and a 2.92 ERA. In parts of 6 seasons with the White Sox and O's, Hickey was 9-14 with 17 saves and a 3.91 ERA.

I don't enjoy eulogizing former Orioles, especially when they're relatively young like Kevin Hickey. But I do think it's important to take a moment to remember them.

Keith Moreland, 1990 Upper Deck #401

Well, that box break went even more poorly than I had anticipated. The gory details:

Three packs of 1988 Topps

A pack each of 1987, 1989, 1990 Topps

Two packs of 1988 Donruss

A pack each of 1989 and 1990 Donruss

A pack of 1990 Upper Deck

A repack of junk wax (1984 and 1987 Topps, 1988 and 1990 Score, 1992 Upper Deck…you know the drill)

A pack of 1986 Donruss Jumbo All-Stars

A pack of 1989 Topps UK Mini

A pack of 1998 Team Best Minor League

A mangled pack of 2009 Obak

It goes without saying that I was part of the 3,999 out of 4,000 that received no throwback soo-prize. The one pack from the last fifteen years was bent to bejeezus, and I got six packs from sets I’ve already completed. In the Upper Deck pack, I was treated to Keith Moreland, the 35-year-old veteran who the "Why Not?" Orioles acquired down the stretch in 1989. He rewarded them with a .215/.243/.280 slash line and 5 extra-base hits in 33 games, and even as the team was fighting tooth and nail with the Blue Jays for the A.L. East title, he complained about his playing time. When the O's were officially eliminated on the second-to-last day of the season, Moreland left the club and went home before the final game. What I'm saying is that he is the perfect representation for this dud purchase. Let this be a lesson to you: junk purchases are all in good fun, but the cheaper the better.

Dave Johnson, 1990 Upper Deck #425

I wish I had been a baseball fan when Dave Johnson was still pitching. There have been a lot of major league baseball players from Baltimore, some of them among the all-time greats of the game (Cal Ripken, Babe Ruth, and Al Kaline, most notably). But Dave Johnson was truly one of our own. He hailed from Middle River, mere miles from my own childhood home. He attended Overlea High School and Baltimore City Community College, and was not drafted by any team. The Pirates signed him as an amateur free agent in 1982. He pitched in their organization for seven years, getting a brief taste of the bright lights in 1987 at age 27. He was a mop-up guy, and not an impressive one at that; his thirteen hits allowed in six and one-third innings probably shortened his already-brief stay in Pittsburgh. Johnson was finally granted his freedom after a 1988 season spent entirely in the minors, signing with Houston in December. Three months later he was traded to his hometown Orioles just before the start of the new season; the rebuilding Birds had picked him up as insurance. That's where his legend begins.

I've talked about the wonders of the "Why Not?" O's of 1989, but I haven't gone into detail about Dave Johnson's role. He was recalled from AAA Rochester at the beginning of August to provide a fresh arm in a double header against Boston. He lasted into the seventh inning, but gave up five runs to wind up on the wrong end of a 6-2 decision. But a week later, he was given another shot, this time in front of his friends and family in Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. The result was right out of Damn Yankees, as the 29-year-old righthander with 13 major league innings under his belt scattered eight hits, going the distance for a 6-1 victory over the Twins. The win allowed the ragtag Birds to hold on to their slim two-game lead over AL East rival Toronto. His next start was another 6-1 complete-game victory at home; this time he held the Red Sox to six hits. After a rough outing in his fourth start, a 9-2 loss vs. Toronto, he rebounded for his third complete game in four starts at Memorial Stadium, a 4-2 win over the Brewers, who were also nipping at Baltimore's heels. The rest of Johnson's season was up-and-down, but before the year was out he would notch a fourth complete game, tough 3-0 loss to the White Sox. Despite starting just fourteen games, Dave's 4 complete games tied for the team lead with eighteen-game-winner Jeff Ballard.

The following season would prove to be Dave Johnson's only full major league campaign. It was a good one, as he led the O's in wins (13) and again tied for the lead in complete games (3). Once again, all of his CGs were in Baltimore; being so close to home just seemed to give him that extra push. Nearly two decades later, Dave's still a part of the action in Charm City. He helped instruct the team's pitchers during the most recent Spring Training, and he serves as a baseball analyst for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network and 105.7 WHFS.

During my childhood, I remember sitting in the waiting room at my dentist's office and seeing a glossy photo that hung on the bulletin board. It was a head shot of Dave Johnson in an Orioles uniform; he was a fellow patient. While I recall being somewhat impressed by this fact, it would have resonated with me much more if my love of baseball weren't still a few years away. It's the kind of thing that you don't spend much time thinking about, but I guess baseball players have to get their teeth cleaned too. As you can see above, Dave had a great smile to show for it.