Albert Belle, 2001 Upper Deck Vintage #73

In case you've forgotten, Albert Belle was an intensely terrifying athlete. Thanks to Deadspin, some  video evidence to that effect is making the rounds this week. The video shows highlights from the Orioles' home game vs. the Angels on July 25, 1999, the much-maligned "Turn Ahead the Clock" promotion that put both teams in pullover jerseys with itty-bitty sleeves and vertical name plates, among other fashion don'ts. In his first five trips to the plate, the mercurial slugger had gone 4-for-4 with a walk, three home runs, and six RBI. Albert was almost singlehandedly responsible for keeping the O's alive into the 11th inning, considering that the score was 7-7 after nine innings. His three-run homer in the seventh erased the bulk of a 7-3 deficit, and his first-pitch solo shot off of Troy Percival tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. His final plate appearance came with one out in the 11th, after B. J. Surhoff's walk put the winning run on first base. Shigetoshi Hasegawa was brought out of the bullpen to relieve Mike Holtz, and his second pitch ran high and inside. Home plate umpire Ed Hickox ruled that the ball struck Belle, but the right fielder...refused to take his base. That's how locked-in he was, and how intent he was on winning the game. After some tense moments at home plate, manager Ray Miller and coach Marv Foley convinced Albert to yield. Three batters later, Cal Ripken capped his own impressive game (3-for-5, 2B, HR) with a walkoff single through the left side. Go check out the video, and consider yourself lucky if you've never run afoul of #88.

Delino DeShields, 2001 Upper Deck Vintage #76

Was I the only one who never knew that Delino DeShields went by the nickname "Bop"? I don't remember ever hearing it during his career. But it was a name from Delino's childhood in East Seaford, Delaware. I can't seem to track down any more information about the significance of the moniker. Does anyone else have a clue?

Jose Mercedes, 2001 Upper Deck Vintage #72

When I got home from work today there was an unexpected - and much appreciated - package waiting for me on my porch. It was from Tim, who comments frequently around these parts as Rounding Thirty 3rd. Inside this box, as you may have guessed, was a stack of Orioles cards and some unopened wax packs from those glorious years of mass overproduction (1988-1993). Quite a few of those cards are new additions to my collection, including this one. A dozen years after he debuted in Baltimore, I finally have my first Jose Mercedes O's card.

Jose's tenure in Birdland is hard to figure. He'd spent parts of each season from 1994-1998 with the Brewers, without much success. He was released three times in the next year, which brought him to the Orioles. Mercedes was on the big league club throughout the 2000 season, starting 20 games and relieving in 16 more. On a staff that still included Scott Erickson and Mike Mussina, the 29-year-old journeyman from the Dominican Republic led the team in wins, going 14-7 with a 4.02 ERA. He seemed to get better as the year wore on, posting an 11-3 record and a 3.03 ERA. But looking at the raw stats, I'm not sure how he did it. Jose had an underwhelming 4.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 2000, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio was just 1.09. He allowed 1.47 walks + hits per nine innings, so he wasn't keeping opponents off the bases. All he did was win baseball games, including a two-hit gem against the Tigers on August 30.

Mercedes got a harsh reality check in 2001. Though his WHIP of 1.53 was a bit higher, he improved his K/9 to 6.0 and his K/BB to 1.95. It looks like Jose's luck just changed for the worse. He spent the entire season in the O's rotation, going 8-17 with a 5.82 ERA to lead the American League in losses. That he made 31 starts with such poor numbers should tell you all you need to know about the quality of the 2001 Orioles. Unfortunately, Major League Baseball is not a forgiving enterprise. Aside from five scoreless relief appearances for the Expos in 2003, Jose's ugly 2001 campaign spelled the end of his big league career.

There's no quit in Jose Mercedes, though. Since bowing out of the majors for good in 2003, he's been plying his trade in Mexico. Last year, he pitched in 21 games for Saltillo at age 40. His stats were not pretty (5-8, 5.51 ERA, 4.6 K/9), but he's kept at it, nearly a decade after his last game in the bigs. Go figure.

Jay Spurgeon, Lesli Brea, and Carlos Casimiro, 2001 Upper Deck Vintage #347

Just why were the Orioles so lousy at the turn of the century? Check out this bumper crop of Floating Head Rookies. If the fact that you've likely never heard of any of them doesn't convince you of their irrelevance, let's peek at the cumulative minor league stats on the back:

Spurgeon had gone 31-16 with a 3.51 ERA in 86 career games. That would make him the cream of this particular crop.

Brea was 16-29 with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. In the MINOR LEAGUES.

And Mr. Casimiro, while he had a pretty great name, was a .242 hitter who averaged an RBI every 7.5 games.

Be still, my heart.

So as we receive reports on the progress of Matt Wieters, Brian Matusz, and Jake Arrieta this Spring, just remember that they might not all pan out, but the odds are certainly a lot better than they once were.