Sidney Ponson, 2002 Fleer Tradition #155

Today I realized with horror that there was a common denominator in each day of the Orioles' current five-game losing streak: I have not posted a blog entry during this skid. I may be a new father, but I can squeeze out a few minutes to set this right. I realize that nine-game West Coast road trips are hellish, but these Orioles are better than this. They are not the gluttonous, underachieving, surly Orioles of Sidney Ponson vintage. They are the 2016 Orioles. The first-place, five-All-Star-having, Buck Showalter Orioles. This is just a bump in the road. Get 'em tonight.

Melvin Mora, 2002 Fleer Tradition #374

It's January first again, which means that it's now been six years since I launched this blog. That's 2,119 posts and counting, including 19 featuring Mr. Melvin Mora. Like most people, I'm not very on-the-ball with New Year's resolutions, so the fact that I've stuck with this thing for more than half a decade means a lot to me. If you're reading this it means that you've hung around too. Thank you kindly.

Brook Fordyce, 2002 Fleer Tradition #193

Here you can see a rare understated design touch by Fleer. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, PA, a small American flag icon was added to the bottom right corner of the 2002 Fleer Tradition cards. With today marking the tenth anniversary of that awful day, many words, images, and gestures have put out there. I don't have anything much to say, so I just hope that everyone reading this had a chance to spend time with loved ones this weekend, and that you all remembered not to take the people and things that you hold dear for granted.

Mike Kinkade, 2002 Fleer Tradition #346

Does anyone remember Mike Kinkade? Knowing some of the dedicated baseball fans that read this blog, that's probably a silly question. But there's a good chance that you're a true diehard if you have some recollection of this journeyman. Kinkade played for nine organizations in a fourteen-year pro career. He also played five defensive positions (right field, left field, first base, third base, and catcher) and served as designated hitter in his limited swings through the big leagues. He arrived in Baltimore during the fire sale of 2000, as he, Melvin Mora, and two shlubs were the booty extracted from the Mets in exchange for shortstop Mike Bordick. But beyond his glorious season-plus in Charm City (.281 in 64 games with four homers - one of them against Mike Mussina), Mike was also something of an American hero during his baseball career.

At the ripe age of 27, Kinkade was a member of the United States baseball team that shocked the world by winning the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He saw action in nine games in all, playing first and third base. Eight years later, he played for Team USA again, but only during the qualifiers for the Beijing Olympics. He acquitted himself well at least, hitting .333. Maybe if they'd kept him on the team when they got to China, they would've done better than a lousy bronze medal.

Jason Johnson, 2002 Fleer Tradition #394

Everyone's favorite diabetic righthanded pitcher is on the move once again. Earlier today, Jason Johnson signed a minor league contract with the Yankees, with an invite to Spring Training. The Bronx Bombers are the ninth MLB organization for Jason, following the Pirates, Devil Rays, Orioles, Tigers, Indians, Red Sox, Reds, and Dodgers. To be honest, I keep forgetting that he's still around. He had two pretty good years in Baltimore (2001: 10-12, 4.09 ERA; 2003: 10-10, 4.18), but spiraled downward after joining Detroit as a free agent in 2004 (20-42 overall). In 2006, he played for three different teams. The following year, he went to Japan, but pitched only seven games for the Seibu Lions (1-4, 4.36). But pitching is such an elusive and coveted commodity that teams keep bringing him back: a 35-year-old with a 56-100 career record (.359 win percentage) and a 4.99 ERA and 1.49 WHIP. It has been a full decade since he notched a winning record in a major league season (8-7 for the 1999 O's). Here's to you, Jason Johnson, and to your Sisyphean task of posting a won-lost record above .500.

Rick Bauer, 2002 Fleer Tradition #450

This Day in Orioles History: September 29, 2004

Orioles 7, Blue Jays 6 and Orioles 4, Blue Jays 0 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards

The Orioles kept their hopes for a .500 finish alive by sweeping a doubleheader at home against the last-place Jays. In the first game, David Newhan's walkoff, bases-loaded single off of Justin Speier broke the tie with two outs in the ninth inning. The other offensive stars included Tim Raines, Jr. (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI) and Rafael Palmeiro, who hit the 550th and 551st home runs of his career and drove in three runs.

Bruce Chen, continuing a late audition for the team's 2005 starting rotation, struck out five and allowed three runs (two earned) in six solid innings, but was betrayed by his bullpen. Entrusted with a 6-3 lead, the combustible Jorge Julio served up a two-run homer to Carlos Delgado. HGH spokesman Jason Grimsley blew a save, surrendering a game-tying home run to Russ Adams in the eighth but setting the stage for the Birds' ninth-inning heroics. B. J. Ryan's perfect inning of work put him in position for the win.

In the nightcap, unpredictable righthander Rick Bauer collaborated with Buddy Groom, Grimsley, and Ryan to blank Toronto on just four hits. Bauer whiffed seven batters in his six innings of work and picked up his second win of 2004. Jay Gibbons' fifth-inning double (part of a 3-for-3 effort) drove in the game's only run until the O's broke out for three insurance runs in the eighth, highlighted by an RBI triple deep to center field by Newhan.

Ultimately, the Birds would finish the 2004 season six games under the break-even mark at 78-84. Somewhat pitifully, this put them just one game behind the 1998 team for the best performance in the past decade (1998-2008).

Pat Hentgen, 2002 Fleer Tradition #430

This card serves as a lasting tribute to Pat Hentgen's mustache. I used to call this style of facial hair a "fu manchu", but I've come to learn that a fu manchu technically hangs off of the chin like this. What #41 is sporting is properly known as a "horseshoe", but is also often referred to as the "Hulk Hogan" or the "Earl". For many years I yearned to grow a mighty Flavor Saver like that, but the only place that hair grew thickly and evenly on my face was on my chin. So the goatee became my calling card, but every once in a while I tried to branch out (particularly in college, when I just couldn't be bothered with shaving regularly). I usually gave up within a few weeks, because my upper lip and cheeks resembled nothing so much as a barber shop floor. I even convinced my Dad to shave his trademark beard down into a horseshoe for a brief period, so that I could live vicariously through him. I still maintain that it helped to intimidate his high school students into obedience.

Last year, I finally reached for the stars. I can't quite explain what compelled me to do it, but I spent the spring of 2007 patiently growing out a full goatee. I never got fully used to the way the mustache portion looked, and it never quite fully connected to the chin hair. But as it got longer and slightly fuller, I saw my opportunity. In June, I shaved my chin before my roommate's birthday party. I had finally arrived. Even better: as a sign of solidarity, said roomie crafted a horseshoe 'stache of his own. Still, he shaved his off later that night, while I reveled in my hirsute glory for a few more weeks. Below you can see my best attempt to channel Pat Hentgen, Al Hrabosky, Rod Beck, and all of the other greats (I'm on the left, of course, in my Orioles Spring Training tee).