Arthur Rhodes, 1991 Upper Deck Final Edition #13F

There is no pitcher in Orioles history who made more grotesque faces with more dependable consistency than Arthur Rhodes. I couldn't contort my face into that expression if I tried...now if you'll excuse me, I need to go spend thirty minutes in front of the bathroom mirror.

Arthur Rhodes, 1998 Score #228

I don't want to wallow in yesterday's dour mood, so here are some things that put me in a better headspace today:

1. Tomorrow is Friday, with a holiday weekend in reach.

2. Janet made delicious pork barbeque in the Crock Pot tonight.

3. Score captured lefty Arthur Rhodes checking the runner at first base in mid-windup. It's all about those little details.

Arthur Rhodes, 1995 Topps #289

Unbeknownst to most fans, Arthur Rhodes wrote reminders and inspirational tips on the underside of the bill of his cap. When he was in a jam on the mound, he'd be able to take a peek at the cap and give himself a little boost. On this particular day, he stepped aside, pulled off his hat, and read his own handwritten words of wisdom:

"Eggs, milk, 1/2 pound sliced ham, Lucky Charms, grapes, orange juice-"

Damn! He'd been unable to find a piece of paper the night before and had grabbed the nearest flat surface while putting together his shopping list. It would be a long game...

Arthur Rhodes, 1998 Pacific Online #100

While the Orioles have had a quiet offseason, it hasn't been completely boring. GM Dan Duquette's penchant for dumpster-diving has left the door open for a few graybeard ex-O's to make a return to Baltimore.

A few weeks ago, 6'9" lefthander Mark Hendrickson had a tryout and came armed with a new sidearm delivery. It's still not a done deal, but the expectation is that Hendo will get a minor league deal and a spring training invite. That's all you can ask for as a 38-year-old who's been out of the game for a year. Mark always seemed like a nice guy, and as a native of York, PA he particularly enjoyed being with the Orioles. I'm always in favor of unconventional pitching deliveries, and the ex-NBA player angle makes him even more interesting than most journeyman relievers.

Earlier this week, another pair of former Birds got a chance to show their stuff. Fernando Tatis, also 38,  was best known for slugging 34 homers for the Cardinals in 1999, but had a nice little 28-game stint with the O's in 2006 after a three-year absence from the majors. Afterward, he had two solid years and a not-so-solid one as a part-timer for the Mets, and hasn't been seen in the bigs since 2010. Tatis might be an intriguing spring training story, but I don't really see a spot for him on the O's bench. Then again, they've been talking seriously about a Wilson Betemit-Danny Valencia DH platoon, which is...ugh.

But the guy that's really got me daydreaming is Arthur Rhodes. Yep, at the same time the Orioles worked out Tatis, they also put the 43-year-old southpaw through the paces. Rhodes last pitched as a situational lefty for the Rangers and Cardinals in 2011, but I guess he's still got the itch. Now that Jamie Moyer's career options have apparently dried up, an Arthur Rhodes comeback might be my new pet cause for the 2013 season. How great would it be to have him back in orange and black? When the Orioles drafted Arthur in 1988, Brian Roberts was a sixth-grader. He made his major league debut on August 21, 1991...almost a full year before Manny Machado was born!

C'mon, Duke...pull the trigger and bring Arthur Rhodes back to Charm City.

Arthur Rhodes, 1992 Stadium Club #641

I always wondered how these photo shoots played out.

"Hey, Arthur, do you know what a baseball is?"

"Sure do! Why, here's one now!"

"Perfect! I think we're done here."

Arthur Rhodes, 1995 Upper Deck #369

A hearty congratulations to Arthur Rhodes, who just won the World Series with the Cardinals. It's the lefty's first championship in his 20 year big league career. Rhodes retired all three batters that he faced in three games in the Fall Classic, capping a scoreless postseason for the 42-year-old. Though I wasn't rooting for the Cardinals in the Series, I was glad to see Arthur earn a "hold" by coaxing a flyout from pinch hitter Yorvit Torrealba in the seventh inning last night. He set a record as the oldest pitcher ever to record a hold in the World Series, of course. I was even happier to see him smiling widely while rushing out to join the mob scene on the infield in St. Louis after the final out was recorded. I'm not sure if he'll be back next year after putting up a 4.64 ERA in 2011, his highest mark since 2006. But if he walks away from the game now, he'll be doing it while on top of the baseball world. Not bad for a guy who was drafted a few months after current O's pitcher Chris Tillman was born back in the spring of 1988.

Arthur Rhodes, 1993 Fleer #174

Alright, you get the quick n' dirty Willard Scott treatment tonight. Happy 42nd birthday to Arthur Rhodes, who is still in the running for the first World Series championship of his very long career. He was born in 1969, when the Orioles were still a juggernaut. Imagine that.

Arthur Rhodes, 1992 Donruss #727

I'm hoping it isn't so, but Arthur Rhodes may have thrown his last pitch in the major leagues. The 41-year-old southpaw was cut loose by the Rangers to make room for new reliever Mike Adams. In 24.1 innings this year, Arthur was touched up for a 4.81 ERA. Of course, he was quite effective for the three seasons prior, so there's still a chance that someone takes a late-season flier on him as a lefty specialist.

Now if Rhodes really has reached the end of the line, he leaves behind a 20-year resume in the bigs. For giggles, let's look at the box score from his major league debut: August 21, 1991 vs. the Rangers at Arlington Stadium.

	Baltimore Orioles				Texas Rangers
1	Mike Devereaux	CF		1	Gary Pettis	CF
2	Joe Orsulak	LF		2	Julio Franco	2B
3	Cal Ripken	SS		3	Ruben Sierra	RF
4	Glenn Davis	DH		4	Juan Gonzalez	LF
5	Randy Milligan	1B		5	Brian Downing	DH
6	Chito Martinez	RF		6	Dean Palmer	3B
7	Leo Gomez	3B		7	Mike Stanley	1B
8	Bob Melvin	C		8	Ivan Rodriguez	C
9	Billy Ripken	2B		9	Jose Hernandez	SS
	Arthur Rhodes P				Kevin Brown P

Incredibly, Ivan Rodriguez is still playing, grinding along as the Nationals' second catcher; he's collected 2,793 hits in 2,486 games since that one. Cal Ripken, Jr. has been in the Hall of Fame since 2007. Bob Melvin is now in his eighth season as a manager. Practically everyone in that Rangers lineup played until they were 50 years old, including Brian Downing, who debuted with the White Sox in 1973 and hung 'em up in 1992 at age 41. So between Rhodes and Downing, you've got nearly 40 years of continuous baseball history represented in a single game. And of course, the late Johnny Oates was managing the O's. They've had nine other skippers since. Eight of them have never managed a winning Orioles team.

Arthur Rhodes, 1993 Donruss #133

Aaand as promised, here are the ex-Orioles muddling along with other American League teams in 2011.

-Gustavo Molina, C, Yankees: .167/.167/.333. He had a double in six at-bats in April, but is currently taking in the glorious sights and sounds in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

-Darnell McDonald, OF, Red Sox: .143/.217/.286, 1 HR, 1 RBI. Last year's scrap heap surprise has crashed down to earth in his first 19 games of this season.

-Matt Albers, RP, Red Sox: 1-3, 3.86 ERA, 1.38 WHIP. Hey hey hey, it's Faaaaat Albers! The hefty righty actually has had a good season except for a blowup against the Cubs in which he allowed six runs (five earned) without retiring a batter.

-Rich Hill, RP, Red Sox: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP. Boston turned the erratic pitcher into a lefty specialist, which was going really well until his elbow went boom in his ninth appearance of the year. He's on the shelf until 2012 now.

-Jose Bautista, OF, Blue Jays: .354/.500!/.753!, 20 HR, 40 RBI. I would feel a lot worse about the Birds giving up on him after 12 plate appearances in 2004, but it took another four team changes and six seasons before he turned into Baseball Galactus.

-Corey Patterson, OF, Blue Jays: .294/.322/.467, 5 HR, 28 RBI. I don't know how he does it, but the dude keeps on keepin' on. Homered and added two bunt singles in yesterday's game vs. the Orioles.

-Omir Santos, C, Tigers: .200/.200/.200. Detroit just called him up from Toledo after Brandon Inge went on the DL, and he has a single in five trips to the plate.

-Will Ohman, RP, White Sox: 0-0, 5.79 ERA, 1.43 WHIP. 3 home runs allowed in 14 innings is not so good.

-Bruce Chen, SP, Royals: 4-1, 3.59 ERA, 1.34 WHIP. Believe it or not, Bruce was the top pitcher in the K.C. rotation until he strained a lat muscle about a month ago.

-Jim Hoey, RP, Twins: 0-2, 9.53 ERA, 2.47 WHIP. Yeeeah, I think we might have gotten the best of that J. J. Hardy trade. 20 hits, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts in 11.1 innings.

-Arthur Rhodes, RP, Rangers: 3-3, 1 SV, 4.85 ERA, 1.46 WHIP. The ancient southpaw has already allowed four homers, the same total he surrendered in the full 2010 season.

-Jack Cust, DH, Mariners: .229/.369/.343, 2 HR, 19 RBI. Leave it to Safeco Field to sap Stumblin' Jack's power. Fun fact: Cust has 38 hits and 36 walks...and 56 strikeouts.

-Erik Bedard, SP, Mariners: 3-4, 3.41 ERA, 1.26 WHIP. Don't look now, but Buh-DARD looks healthy. I wonder if Seattle has thought about trading him before the other shoe drops.

-Chris Ray, RP, Mariners: 2-1, 6.60 ERA, 1.67 WHIP. As bad as the overall stats look, he hasn't given up an earned run since May 4. That includes a pair of scoreless outings against the Orioles.

I tell you what: let's see if Toronto would accept a trade of Luke Scott for Jose Bautista. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Arthur Rhodes, 1994 O-Pee-Chee #17

Ladies and germs, it's time once again for your annual "Arthur Rhodes is the Highlander" update. On January 3, the 41-year-old lefty signed with the Rangers for $3.9 million for one year, with a vesting option for a second year at $4 million. If he pitches in 62 games in 2011 and does not finish the season on the disabled list, the option will be guaranteed. Incidentally, his games totals for 2008-2010 have been 61, 66, and 69. Such is the life of the LOOGY (Lefthanded One Out GuY). Barring disaster, Rhodes will begin his 20th major league season in April, with a fair chance of ensuring himself a 21st. Let the good times roll.

Arthur Rhodes, 1997 Topps #53

The last time Baltimore had a winner on the diamond, Arthur Rhodes was a 27-year-old reliever having a career year. It was 1997, and the lefty was already in his seventh season with the Orioles. The first five had been marked mostly by setbacks and disappointment, as he failed to take hold of a spot in the starting rotation despite multiple opportunities and a world of talent. But Davey Johnson took over in 1996 and shifted Arthur to the bullpen, a move that worked like a charm. After a solid season in which he “vultured” nine wins with a 4.08 ERA, he followed up with a 10-3 record and a 3.02 ERA in ’97. He did it all in a career-high 95.1 innings, striking out 102 batters and posting a 1.06 WHIP.

Now it’s 2010. The O’s have been skidding for nearly a decade and a half, but Rhodes is still pitching. Moreover, he’s pitching some of the best baseball of his life at age 40. Now a late-inning lefty specialist for the Cincinnati Reds, his seventh team, Arthur has appeared in 34 games for a total of 31 innings. He has struck out 29 batters, walked only 10, and given up 15 hits – that’s a 0.81 WHIP. Do you know how many earned runs he’s allowed?

One.

That’s a 0.29 ERA, folks. The crazy thing is that that single earnie was an eighth-inning pinch-hit home run by Colorado’s Jeff Baker, and it was enough to break a 3-3 tie and saddle Rhodes with a loss.

Anyway, it’s been 11 years since Arthur Rhodes left Charm City, and he doesn’t seem ready to stop. I would say that we could still use him, but he’s a one-inning guy at most. That leaves another eight innings to worry about.

Arthur Rhodes, 1991 Leaf Gold Rookies #BC6

That's right, 1991. Oh, to be athletic and left-handed. Arthur Rhodes was a member of the 1993 Orioles team on which I cut my baseball-fan teeth, and has outlasted all of his teammates from that squad, save for 46-year-old Jamie Moyer, who also happens to be...a southpaw pitcher. Rhodes is still plugging as a 39-year-old reliever with the Reds, and has pitched six scoreless innings so far in 2009. One of his current teammates, outfielder Jay Bruce, was one year old when the O's drafted Arthur in 1988.

But my favorite tidbit about Rhodes' longevity is that he's the last remaining active player who played a home game in Memorial Stadium. He pitched three games on 33rd Street with little success (6.14 ERA), but he pitched there all the same. Whenever he retires, another piece of Baltimore's baseball history will be relegated to the dusty past. Thankfully, that day might not come for a long time, especially if he picked up any pointers from ageless lefty teammates like Moyer, Randy Johnson (still going at 45!), and Jesse Orosco (who retired at 46).

Arthur Rhodes, 1997 Fleer Ultra #10

This Day in Orioles History: August 9, 1993

Orioles 4, Tigers 1 at Tiger Stadium

The red-hot Birds won their eighth in a row, closing within a half a game of the idle Blue Jays. Young lefty Arthur Rhodes stymied the powerful Tigers, taking a shutout into the ninth inning and whiffing eight hitters. No Detroit baserunner made it to third base against Rhodes, and their lone run scored after Alan Mills had relieved the starter.

Rhodes and Tigers veteran Mike Moore traded zeroes until the fifth inning, when journeyman catcher Mark Parent socked a two-run home run to put the O's on top. Brady Anderson followed with a triple and scored on a Mark McLemore sacrifice fly. Baltimore added an insurance run in the ninth when Skeeter Barnes threw wildly to first on a Parent grounder.

It's interesting to note that fifteen years later, two players from this game are still active: Arthur Rhodes was just traded from Seattle to the Marlins to add a veteran presence to their bullpen in the fight for the N.L. East. Shortstop Chris Gomez, who was a rookie with the Tigers in 1993 and eventually put in a few years as a reserve in Baltimore, is now a utility infielder for the Pirates. How time flies.

Arthur Rhodes, 1992 Pinnacle #251

When it comes to baseball cards, there's really nothing as consistently entertaining as an action shot of a pitcher in mid-throw. The sheer concentration and exertion involved in hurling a baseball at speeds of 80-100 miles per hour can cause some pretty ridiculous facial expressions, as it so happens. Former Orioles lefty Arthur Rhodes is responsible for some of the funniest faces in my collection.

Though Arthur was considered a prospect in 1992, he spent his first five years in the major leagues floundering in the O's starting rotation and battling injuries. His won-lost record was 17-24, and his ERA 5.70. Still, he had a powerful left arm, a valuable commodity in baseball. In 1993, he was even considered the centerpiece of a potential trade with the Padres for slugging first baseman Fred McGriff.

When Davey Johnson took over as manager in 1996, one important decision he made was to use Rhodes solely as a reliever. In a middle-innings "vulture" role, the pitcher thrived. He won 9 games against a single loss for the Wild Card winning Orioles. In 53 innings he struck out 62 batters. Rhodes was even better the following year, going 10-3 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.05 WHIP and striking out 100 batters for the only time in his career. Arthur even received minor consideration in the MVP voting due to the vital role he played for a Baltimore team that led the American League East from Opening Day on through the end of the season. Though the Birds once again fell short of a World Series, you couldn't blame Arthur Rhodes, who did not allow a run in his three postseason appearances.

Rhodes has had a lengthy and often successful career as a reliever, although it looks like the end may be near. He struggled with the Phillies in 2006 (5.32 ERA), and missed all of last season with Tommy John surgery. Arthur is now in camp with the Seattle Mariners on a minor-league contract. At age 38, he might be running out of chances.

But in baseball, anything is possible.