Aubrey Huff, 2009 Topps #45

I picked a card at random tonight, hoping for a little inspiration. Be careful what you ask for, right? Nowadays, when I think of Aubrey Huff, I think of his frequently incomprehensible Twitter feed. It's probably true that nobody should ever tweet, but that goes double for ol' Horseshit Huff.

Aubrey Huff, 2008 Topps #277

In one of the more unlikely comeback stories, Aubrey Huff is hoping to lace up his cleats again in 2016. The one-time Most Valuable Oriole is now 39, has only been training for the past two months, and hasn't played since struggling with anxiety in 2012. That wasn't a great year in any sense for Huff; he batted .192/.326/.282 with a single home run in 95 trips to the plate and closed himself off from his teammates. But by his own admission, Aubrey is feeling much better after undergoing treatment and discovering a level of spirituality. If nothing else, I'm pulling for him.

Aubrey Huff, 2009 Upper Deck #539

Whoops, I almost missed this one. Aubrey Huff officially announced his retirement this past weekend. He did not play baseball last year after spending parts of 13 seasons with the Devil Rays, Astros, Orioles, Tigers, and Giants. The 37-year-old corner infielder is looking to kick-start a career in broadcasting, already having landed a gig with the Pac-12 Network for college baseball coverage. The highlights of his time in the major leagues include:

-A career batting line of .278/.342/.464 (114 OPS+) with 242 HR and 904 RBI

-A 2003 season that still places him atop Tampa Bay's single-year leaderboards in hits (198), total bases (353), doubles (47), and times on base (259).

-An award-winning 2008 campaign that saw him named Most Valuable Oriole and the American League Silver Slugger at DH. He led the O's with 32 HR, 108 RBI, a .552 slugging percentage, a .912 OPS, and a 137 OPS+. He also scored 96 runs, cracked 48 doubles, and batted .304.

-Two World Series rings with the Giants. Though he didn't contribute much to San Francisco's championship drive in 2012, playing only 52 games with a .608 OPS and seven RBI, he was a major offensive force for the club in 2010. That year he batted .290/.385/.506 (142 OPS+) with 35 doubles and team bests of 26 HR and 86 RBI. He also slugged .588 and drove in four runs in the Giants' five-game Series win over the Rangers.

-In addition to his on-the-field exploits, Aubrey Huff also had a knack for doing and saying the perfect thing off of the field...as long as you don't know anything about the articles linked here.

Enjoy your retirement, Aubrey. Just don't tell the world about it.

Aubrey Huff, 2008 Bowman Chrome #126

Here's a tip of the cap to the Tampa Bay Rays, our fellow brothers in Aubrey Huff, who will square off with the Texas Rangers tonight in the first of two sudden-death playoff games in the American League. The Rays and Rangers finished the regular season tied for the second and final wild-card slot in the junior circuit, with each club posting a 91-71 record. It'll be 2012 Cy Young Award winner David Price taking the mound for the Rays, to be opposed by Texas' relatively untested 22-year-old lefty Martin Perez. Coincidentally, I just had dinner with my wife and her oldest sister, who is visiting from the Tampa area on business. Throughout the season, we traded a bit of good-natured trash talk about the Orioles and Rays, though she will still never be able to convince me that she actually enjoys watching games in that dingy Costco with Astroturf that passes for a ballpark in St. Petersburg. May the best team win tonight!

Aubrey Huff, 2009 Topps Black #45

Congratulations to Aubrey Huff and the rest of the 2012 World Series champion San Francisco Giants, who swept the Detroit Tigers in four games. Huff didn't make a strong contribution to this year's Giants club, batting .192 in 52 regular season games with a home run and 7 RBI. He missed time with injuries, and was supplanted at first base by prospect Brandon Belt. However, San Francisco kept the 35-year-old on their 25-man roster throughout the postseason and he appeared in 10 of their 16 games as a pinch hitter. Unfortunately, Aubrey went 1-for-9 with a walk. That might be a wrap for the Huffster's Giants career, but he got two rings out of the deal.

Aubrey Huff, 2009 Topps 206 #263

This is a hit-and-run post today, since I have to get on the road to Southern Maryland to watch Wrestlemania XXVIII (28 for those of you with a roman numeral phobia) with my friends Donnie and Boothe. This year's keystone event for WWE is being broadcast from Sun Life Stadium (a.k.a. Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphin/Land Shark Stadium) in Miami. In that spirit, here's a card featuring University of Miami alumnus Aubrey Huff.

Aubrey Huff, 2008 Topps Co-Signers #58

I took a look at the final vote totals for the American League MVP. Congratulations to Justin Verlander, who I've had the pleasure and the pain of watching in person as he made my Orioles look foolish. But as I peered down-ballot, I saw no pity votes for any Baltimore players. Matt Wieters didn't get tossed a tenth-place vote for his otherworldly defense and improving offense. No one scribbled in Kevin Gregg in eighth place on a drunken dare. I don't really think the O's deserved any love in the MVP discussion, but when David Freaking Robertson gets named on an MVP ballot AND a Cy Young ballot, you've got proof that some BBWAA members are strange creatures.

Really, the lack of Orioles in the MVP race is just another signpost of how far off-track the club has been recently. Aubrey Huff's fluke 2008 season earned him a 16th-place finish in that year's MVP vote, making him the only Oriole in the last five years to be so honored. Miguel Tejada's fifth-place finish in 2004 was the last time the Birds had a serious candidate, and even then he received no first-place votes. The last time any voting member of the BBWAA considered an Oriole to be the most valuable American Leaguer, it was 1991; 15 of them boosted Cal Ripken, Jr. to the top of the heap. I'd check and see how long it's been since a Baltimore pitcher was included on a Cy Young ballot, but I'd like to finish writing this post some time before Thanksgiving. Team success will breed more individual recognition, and I can't wait for the day when we don't have to drum up pride from obligatory All-Star selections and occasional Gold Gloves or Player of the Week nods. I long for a roster that even casual fans in other cities can identify by name and by face, and not just because they were good for another team a couple of years earlier.

Aubrey Huff, 2008 Topps Allen and Ginter Mini #342

Prepare yourselves...it's coming.

What did you say? What's coming? Seriously, have you been living under a rock? Gint-A-Cuffs is coming.

For the uninitiated, Gint-A-Cuffs is an annual contest that pits willing and hearty card bloggers from all ends of the earth against one another in feats of box-breaking supremacy. Started way back in the year two-thousand-and-nine by fellow Oriole fan Beardy, this hullabaloo goes as follows:

1. Challengers contact Beardy and Mark A. (the GAC Commissioner) to throw their names in the ring. A favorite team and favorite player must be listed in the entry. FYI, I listed the Orioles (of course) and Adam Jones (Brian Roberts was already taken).

2. Challengers purchase one (1) hobby box of the current year's Allen and Ginter cards.

3. Challengers rip open all 24 packs, and post the results on their blogs by the end of August.

4. Scores are tabulated according to the rules posted by the commissioner. This year's scoring criteria have not yet been determined, but traditionally points are awarded for special cards (inserts, short prints, autographs, relics, whathaveyou), cards of the challenger's favorite team, and cards of any challenger's favorite player. Points may also be deducted for cards of certain players, as chosen by the commissioner.

5.When the dust settles, the challenger who is verified as having the highest score is declared the winner of Gint-A-Cuffs and wins a super-special prize. This year, the prize is a shiny new hobby box of 2011 A&G, provided by Topps, who is officially sponsoring Gint-A-Cuffs!

This is the first time that I've stepped up to the plate as a Gint-A-Cuffs competitor. It seems like a lot of fun, and I'm all for anything that makes collecting more enjoyable. Plus, it's the perfect opportunity to talk a little trash to my contemporaries.

You hear that, dayf? Show's over. You might as well wave the white flag now, Night Owl. You're going down, Commishbob.

Bring on the Gint-A-Cuffs.

Aubrey Huff, 2007 Fleer Ultra #19

Tomorrow night. World Series Game One. Rangers-Giants. Who ya got? I think I'll be pulling for the Giants (with all apologies to vociferous Giant hater Night Owl), and not just because I'm still bearing scars from 26-7 and 30-3. I'd be happy for Aubrey Huff, who had a bounce-back year in San Francisco after hitting the skids in Baltimore and Detroit in 2009. The guy has paid his dues after a decade of cellar dwelling as a Devil Ray and Oriole. Ex-O's Chris Ray and Eli Whiteside are also with the Giants, so bully for them. I've also taken a liking to obese third baseman Pablo Sandoval (a.k.a. "Kung Fu Panda"), goofy closer Brian Wilson and his thick black beard, and undersized, emo-looking ace Tim Lincecum, who might be my favorite non-Oriole. I also dig the look of AT&T Park, with its big brick wall looming in right field and inviting lefty hitters to take aim at the San Francisco Bay.

I'm also rooting for the Giants because it's been a long time coming. While the Rangers have never won a World Series, the Giants have actually had the longer drought: Texas (nee the Washington Senators) has been around since 1961, but the last championship for the guys in orange and black came in 1954, when they were known as the New York Giants. Since then, they've had their share of heartbreak. In 1962, they took Mantle's Yankees to Game Seven and lost 1-0 when Willie McCovey's line drive was snared with two out and two on in the bottom of the ninth. They waited 27 years to get back, and were swept by their Bay Area counterparts in Oakland in a Series that was interrupted and muted by a devastating earthquake that hit right before Game Three. In 2002, the Giants seemed poised to clinch in Game Six, but blew a 5-0 lead in the seventh and eighth innings. The Angels scored four early runs in Game Seven and made it hold up. As someone who's been a fan for 18 of the Orioles' 27 straight years without a World Series, I can't imagine the frustration of longtime Giants fans.

Above all, I just hope it's an exciting, competitive series. These are the last four-to-seven baseball games that count for a while. They've got to carry us through the next five months.

Aubrey Huff, 2009 Topps Attax #NNO

Next year, Aubrey Huff will wear orange and black and play near the Bay. Of course, it'll be the San Francisco Bay, and his cap will have an "SF" insignia, as he just signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Giants. That's a 63% pay cut from his 2009 salary, but them's the breaks when you're a 33-year-old slugger whose OPS dropped 218 points from one season to the next. Still, I wish the Manhorse (read the second paragraph here) well, and I thank him for doing the O's one last favor.

By signing with San Francisco, Huff damaged the leverage of fellow free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche, who seems to have severely overestimated the market for his services. With a short-term vacancy at first base and a need for more power in the lineup, the Orioles would seem to be a good fit for LaRoche, who is in his prime at age 30 and should be counted on for 35-40 doubles, 25 home runs, and strong defense. But the ex-Brave and Pirate has been seeking a three-year, $30 million contract, which is too long and too rich for GM Andy MacPhail. Just last week, Adam reportedly turned down two years and $17 million from the Giants. Now he has one less bidder, and it's more likely that he could have to swallow his pride and take a one or two-year deal for a few less bills. I'd be fine with that, though I'm glad that the Birds never got around to trading Brian Roberts for LaRoche back in the middle of the last decade, as they planned to before owner Peter Angelos nipped it in the bud. Yikes.

Aubrey Huff, 2009 Topps Allen and Ginter #349

The dominoes are still falling as Andy MacPhail's rebuilding plan steams ahead. Today, pending free agent Aubrey Huff is a Tiger, flipped for a 2008 draftee and hard-throwing reliever. While it would be easy to dwell upon the 32-year-old first baseman's disappointing performance this year (which did make it easier to part with him), I prefer to remember the highlights. August in Baltimore is depressing enough as it is. Today, and tomorrow, and the day after, when you think of the "Manhorse" and his two-plus seasons in Baltimore, you should see him:

-Becoming the third player in team history to hit for the cycle, and doing it in just seven innings.

-Driving in seven runs in a two-game span in Yankee Stadium in August 2007, including a game-clinching two-run homer off of Mariano Rivera.

-Switching his uniform number from #19 to #17 to honor ex-teammate Joe Kennedy, who died suddenly in November 2007. A classy and understated gesture.

-Wearing an outstanding shirt at the 2008 FanFest to make amends for his incendiary comments on the radio earlier in the offseason. (Image originally from Orioles Hangout)

-Hitting the game-winning home run off of Baltimore's favorite opposing reliever Eric O'Flaherty to finish off a four-game home sweep of the Mariners in April '08, causing delirium at Camden Chat.

-Silencing the early-season boos in 2008 by having a comeback season that included selections as the Orioles MVP and the American League Silver Slugger (designated hitter). (.304 AVG, .912 OPS, 48 2B, 32 HR, 108 RBI)

-Hitting a three-run homer off of overrated Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain and mocking Joba's trademark fist pump twice - as the ball cleared the fence, and again while crossing home plate.

-During the "player dating advice" video that ran between innings at some recent home games (described here), Aubrey just said, “Melting Pot” (a fondue restaurant for those who don't know). He then sat there staring at the camera with this weird grin on his face for like 30 seconds, just an uncomfortably long time. It was bizarrely entertaining, and it struck me as some sort of clubhouse inside joke that he threw out there to amuse himself and baffle the crowd.

Anyway, that's the stuff that comes to mind. Did I miss your favorite Huff moments? Let me know in the comments.

Aubrey Huff, 2008 Upper Deck #180

Before I take a look back at 2008, I'd like to take a closer look at this card. First of all, we can see Brian Roberts and the second base umpire gazing up to the sky to track the looping pop-up that Aubrey Huff is chasing. We can also see the out-of-town scoreboard on the outfield fence. It's flashing the progress of what was certainly a white-knuckle thriller between the Mets and the Nationals, with Jason Bergmann and David Wright facing off. Using that information, let's see if we can find out where the O's were playing and what game provided the backdrop for this photo. Why? Because I'm curious.

We can probably assume that the photo was taken in 2007, Aubrey's first year with the Birds. Checking Jason Bergmann's gamelog from last year, we see that his only start at home against the Mets was Sunday, April 29. It was indeed a day game, so that part seems to check out. Jose Reyes led off the game with a single, bringing David Wright to the plate in a scoreless game. So the line score seems right.

But what were the O's up to on that Sunday afternoon? Let's check the team's schedule/results. They were at Cleveland for a 1:05 game, and Aubrey Huff started at first base. I thought the outfield fence looked like Jacobs Field*, but I couldn't be sure. Sadly, this was not a good game for the Birds. Orioles great Jaret Wright gave up two runs in the first inning, temporarily getting out of further trouble by inducing Johnny Peralta to pop out to Huff in foul territory (hey!). He was gone by the fourth, however, and Fausto Carmona and the Tribe breezed to a 6-1 victory. The lone Baltimore run came on an Aubrey Huff solo home run in the ninth inning.

I guess if you were going to focus on any Orioles player in this game, it might as well have been Aubrey Huff. Happy New Year, everyone!

*I made an editorial decision not to use its corporate name. Ugh.

Aubrey Huff, 2008 Topps Heritage #406

As I continue to grasp at straws to find something positive to say about the Orioles as they stand today, I realize that I haven't given Aubrey Huff his due. In the picture above, the 6'4" designated hitter/first baseman is looking over his shoulder, and with good reason. In the first year of a contract that pays him $8 million annually, he'd underperformed in a major way. His 2007 stats included a career-low 15 home runs and a fairly pedestrian 72 RBI. To compound his troubles, Huff opened his big mouth on talk radio. (Word to the wise: there is precious little to be gained from an appearance on "Bubba the Love Sponge".) Aubrey's comments raised the ire of O's fans, particularly his claim that watching game film was a "waste of time". Oh, and he might have said that Baltimore was a "horsepoop city" for nightlife.*

Aubrey Huff had his work cut out for him in 2008, but he struck an early blow by wearing an "I *Heart* Baltimore" shirt for the team's FanFest event in late March. It was funny enough that I was willing to forgive him, but many fans weren't won over so easily. No worries, because Huff was locked in from Day One. A notoriously slow starter, he put up decent power numbers in April and May before truly catching fire in June (.337 AVG). He's gone from hot to ridiculous, putting up 16 of his 30 home runs and 52 of his 98 RBI in 54 July and August games. With a month left in the season, he has several career highs in his sights: home runs (four needed), RBI (nine), doubles (three), and runs (four). His .311 batting average is close to his personal best of .313, and his on-base percentage and slugging percentage are currently above his own high-water marks. Huff is currently leading the American League in extra-base hits and total bases, and has been named A. L. Player of the Week twice.

So yeah, he's pretty good, even though he's not young and defensively gifted like Nick Markakis or speedy and adorable like Brian Roberts. Kevin Millar pointed out half-jokingly that Huff was even being overlooked by the team's marketing department, as he hasn't been featured in a T-Shirt Tuesday giveaway or on the cover of the monthly Orioles Magazine game program.

Okay, I've talked myself into it. Aubrey Huff for Most Valuable Oriole of 2008. Jeremy Guthrie, who unfortunately has a tired arm, is a verrrry close second, though. Who's your pick?

* - Comment may be edited for content.

Aubrey Huff, 2007 Upper Deck Goudey #193

This Day in Orioles History: August 14, 2007

Orioles 12, Yankees 0 at Yankee Stadium

I just can't overlook a good thrashing of the Yankees, especially in the oh-so-hallowed House That Ruth Built. Aubrey Huff put the game away early, crushing a grand slam off of Jeff Karstens for four of his five RBI on the evening, and Daniel Cabrera continued his occasional dominance of the Bronx Bombers, working around two hits and six walks to combine with Paul Shuey and Rob Bell on a whitewash.

The Birds came out swinging against New York, totaling thirteen hits and six walks in the game. The big blow was Huff's homer, which buried the Yanks in a 5-0 hole in the third inning. But Yankee Killer Kevin Millar had a perfect night, going 3-for-3 with a home run, two walks, and an RBI and scoring four of the dozen Baltimore runs. Nick Markakis added two doubles and an RBI, Jay Payton drove in a pair, and Brian Roberts swiped his 35th and 36th bases on the year. The O's went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position, a .417 average. They seemed to take a special joy in clobbering former teammate Jim "Bulldog" Brower, who offered a reminder of why he lasted just a month with the 2006 team: six runs (four earned) on five hits and a walk in two innings. He allowed each of the four batters that faced him in the sixth inning to reach base.

Of course, it wouldn't be an O's-Yankees game without some hit batters. After falling behind, the pinstripers plunked Miguel Tejada and Nick Markakis - the team's two best players - in separate innings. Baltimore did not retaliate. You stay classy, New York.