Chris Hoiles, 1993 Stadium Club #345

Last night Chris Davis caught - and then passed - Chris Hoiles for 11th all-time on the Orioles' home run leader board, and he did so emphatically. The man they call "Crush" first brought the O's back from an early 4-0 hole with a game-tying two-run homer in the third inning that hit the center field batter's eye wall on a bounce, traveling 438 feet from home plate. Then, after Jonathan Schoop's two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth wiped out a 6-4 deficit, the game dragged on into the 11th. A weary Davis jumped on a 3-0 offering from Rays reliever Matt Andriese and nearly hit the right-center field scoreboard with his 38th home run of the season and his 152nd since joining the O's in late 2011. The titanic blast had six seconds of hang time, enough for the ball to travel 459 feet. It was also the brawny first baseman's 90th homer at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, pushing him past Melvin Mora for fourth all-time. There's no shame in being chased down by Chris Davis.

Chris Hoiles, 1992 Upper Deck Ted Williams' Best Hitters of the Future #T16

As hard as it is for me to believe, yesterday was Chris Hoiles' 50th birthday. To celebrate such a significant milestone for one of my favorite childhood players, I thought I'd share some nice things that Ted Williams said about him over 20 years ago:

"Good, solid, quick swing. Excels at my philosophy: get a good pitch to hit, swing with a slight uppercut and be quick. A pull hitter with power and intensity. Confidence about his abilities strengthens his game."

Hey, what could be better than a stamp of approval from the Splendid Splinter?

Chris Hoiles, 1996 Topps #191

April showers, yada yada yada. This is getting ridiculous. The Orioles and Pirates were rained out tonight for the second straight evening, further delaying Manny Machado's return from the disabled list. I had tickets for tonight's game, but I won't be able to swing the rescheduled doubleheader tomorrow. Sure, it's a necessary move, because the conditions were so rough in Baltimore that even the swiftest players would have been reduced to Chris Hoiles Speed, but it's still a bummer. I'm ready for those May flowers already.

Chris Hoiles, 1993 Studio #156

If this Chris Hoiles card could talk, it would say, "Haw, haw, haw...basebawl."

Chris Hoiles, 1994 Topps Finest Pre-Production #141

It's been a very busy weekend, so this will be a quick hit. I've had an authentic gray Orioles road jersey for a few years now, but left the name and number blank. "Baltimore" on the front, nothing on the back. Recently, inspiration struck. I want Chris Hoiles' name and number 23 on the back of that jersey. I never see my fellow O's fans representing the team's power hitting backstop when I go down to Camden Yards, and I'd like to do something about that. Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis are all already well represented. I'd like to go back to my roots a bit.

Chris Hoiles, 1992 Upper Deck #183

Questions raised by this photo:

-Who taught Matt Nokes how to execute a hard slide? He looks like he's trying to play patty-cake.

-Was he safe or out? It looks like Chris Hoiles missed the ball, but it's Spring Training for the umpires, too.

-Most importantly, who is standing at the backstop, and why are they wearing shorts?

Chris Hoiles, 1994 Bowman #131

With Christmas just three weeks away, it's easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle. Buying gifts, cleaning and decorating the house, attending parties, making travel plans...you might feel like the holiday season ambushed you. But I think we should all take a moment to stop, breathe deeply, and pay attention to the smaller details in life. For instance, take this Chris Hoiles card. The two things that jump out at me are as follows:

1) Chris has his last name printed in black marker on the strap of his batting glove. You see this a lot on cards - player names, nicknames, or initials scrawled on a piece of equipment. It makes sense; with 25 guys in the clubhouse, and six months of in-season travel, you don't want to get caps and gloves mixed up. There's still something endearing about the haphazard and informal personalization, though.

2) Not only does Hoiles have the Orioles' 1993 All-Star Game host patch on the left sleeve of his jersey, but All-Star is the brand of his chest protector. That's a nice bit of synchronicity.

Chris Hoiles, 1991 Fleer Ultra #17

As if I needed another reason to like Chris Hoiles, I found out from his Twitter feed (@c23hoiles) that he was also watching Wrestlemania on pay-per-view last night. In case you were wondering, he was suitably impressed by the Hell in a Cell bout between the Undertaker and Triple H. I would have to agree that it was very entertaining, and that's coming from someone who generally dislikes Triple H.

Oh, and there's some slightly more universally accessible news about Chris Hoiles today. The Orioles announced that he will be receiving the ceremonial first pitch before Friday's Opening Day game. That pitch will be thrown by Rick Sutcliffe, the other half of the Birds' battery in the first game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It should be a fine way to kick off the 20th-anniversary season of the finest ballpark in the major leagues.

Chris Hoiles, 1997 Score #223

It's not like I need additional reasons to count Chris Hoiles among my all-time favorite Orioles, but I'll reach for them as they come. Andy at High Heat Stats posted a list of the all-time home run leaders who played exclusively for each franchise. In other words, anyone who played for more than one team is not eligible. This method produces some odd results, especially for expansion teams (like the Diamondbacks' home run king Rusty Ryal, with his career total of six HR). Even some teams that have been around for more than a century have had to share their top sluggers, leaving the Braves with Andres Thomas (42 HR) until Chipper Jones retires, the Athletics with Dick Green (80 HR), and the White Sox with Ron Karkovice (96 HR). Naturally, the Orioles make a good showing with Baltimore icons Cal Ripken, Jr. (431 HR) and Brooks Robinson (268 HR) leading the way. But Chris Hoiles is a strong third-place entry. Though he was a 19th-round pick of the Tigers in the 1986 draft, the soft-spoken catcher from Ohio came to the O's organization as part of a trade package for Fred Lynn in 1988 and made his major league debut the following year. Chris spent parts of 10 seasons in Charm City, and though various aches, pains, and bad breaks kept him from ever playing more than 127 games in a year, he finished his career with 151 home runs (10th-most among all Orioles). His single-season high was 29 longballs in 1993, but he averaged 27 HR per 162 games. It's incredible to think what he could've done if he had the durability and longevity of a Carlton Fisk or Gary Carter, but what he gave us was still pretty damn good.

Chris Hoiles, 1994 Pinnacle #112

I never really gave it much thought before, but one of my favorite themes in my team collection may be cards picturing Chris Hoiles making a play at the plate. This is the fifth such card I've posted on the blog, and if you don't believe me you can click the "chris hoiles" tag at the foot of this entry. Considering that future Oriole Eric Davis played only 23 games with the Tigers in the 1993 season, we shouldn't have a hard time figuring out when this photo was snapped. The ever-valuable Baseball Reference tells us that E.D. and the Tigers visited Camden Yards for a three-game set spanning September 24-26. In the opener, Eric singled once but was stranded on first base. In the second game...well, we've got something.

It was the first half of a doubleheader on Sunday the 26th, after rained washed things out the day before. Arthur Rhodes got the start for the O's and was hammered, allowing back-to-back home runs to Davis and Alan Trammell in the second inning and a three-run shot to Cecil Fielder in the third to earn an early exit. The Birds chipped the Detroit lead down to 6-3 by the seventh inning, but Mike Oquist and Todd Frohwirth ran into more trouble. Travis Fryman and Fielder chased Oquist with back-to-back hits, and Davis greeted Frohwirth with a walk. After Trammell went down swinging, Mickey Tettleton scored Fryman and pinch runner Skeeter Barnes, with E.D. moving to third. Rookie Danny Bautista lofted a fly ball to right field, and Mark McLemore's throw home gunned down Davis for an inning-ending double play. Unfortunately the Orioles still lost, 9-4. Davis earned a partial game off in the nightcap, pinch hitting in the seventh and moving to center field in the next half-inning.

But Chris Hoiles knows who's boss.

Chris Hoiles, 1996 Score #136

It turns out that today is a pretty special day in Orioles history:

-Earl Weaver blew out 81 candles on his birthday cake today, or maybe he didn't. It seems cruel to expect an 81-year-old man with a history of smoking to put all of that stress on his lungs. Maybe they just gave him one big candle.

-On August 14, 1998, Chris Hoiles hit two grand slams in a 15-3 win over the Indians. It was the tenth and final two-homer game of the powerful catcher's career, and also the last pair of grand slams he ever hit. Hoiles retired at season's end with 151 home runs (including 8 grand slams), a total that is still good for tenth in O's history.

-Two years ago, Felix Pie became the fourth player in Birds history to hit for the cycle, driving in four runs in a blowout win over Jered Weaver and the Angels. I had the privilege of being at Camden Yards to witness a team-record 12 extra-base hits in the 16-6 rout, and of course I wrote a little something about it.

Sadly, a card featuring all three of Weaver, Hoiles, and Pie exists only in fevered dreams, so we'll have to settle for Chris Hoiles by his lonesome.

Chris Hoiles, 1993 Fleer #168



Come one, come all for Play At the Plate Detective. Today's suspect is a prime action shot of Chris Hoiles awaiting a throw home whilst Seattle Mariner (and future Oriole) second baseman Harold Reynolds slides into the plate, presumably safe. I am a big fan of the batting helmet frozen in midair from now until the end of time. On with the hunt:

According to his 1992 Game Log, Reynolds appeared in five Seattle at Baltimore contests that season. If we narrow it down to games in which he scored a run, we're left with three. Next, we need to find out if Hoiles was the Orioles catcher in all three. Nope! Jeff Tackett wore the tools of ignorance on May 3 in an 8-6 O's win. So we're left with either August 18 or the first game of an August 20 doubleheader. The photo depicts a day game, but Baseball-Reference doesn't have start times for these games. So we'll have to check the descriptions of the plays that drove in Reynolds in both games. They're both sacrifice flies, so that doesn't help. However, you'll notice that Hoiles is facing the right side of the field while anticipating the throw.

Bingo.

On August 18, Reynolds led off the seventh inning with a double and advanced to third on a bunt single by Omar Vizquel (who is STILL ACTIVE in 2011!). Edgar Martinez drove a Ben McDonald pitch deep to left-center field, where Brady Anderson snared it and threw plateward. Cal Ripken, Jr. cut the ball off and redirected it to brother Billy at second base, where Vizquel was caught trying to advance. An exciting play, but not our play. The O's lost that one 8-3, so no biggie.

The August 20 game is the one we want. It's a Thursday afternoon battle, and the Birds need a win after four straight losses have put them four back of the first-place Blue Jays. Rick Sutcliffe faces Brian Fisher, a 30-year-old journeyman who entered the 1992 season with 22 major league innings pitched over the previous three seasons. But on this day, Fisher appears to get the best of Sut, pitching into the seventh and limiting the home team to one measly Chito Martinez single and pitching around three walks. Sutcliffe walks a tightrope, allowing eight Seattle hits and four walks in seven and two-thirds innings. The only run he allows is on a third-inning sacrifice fly to right by Edgar Martinez that followed back-to-back singles by Harold Reynolds and Omar Vizquel. This is of course the play captured above. The M's strand an astounding 13 runners, squandering opportunities in each and every inning.

The O's are surely pressing by the bottom of the eighth inning, when Tim Hulett leads off with a single off of reliever Russ Swan. Mark McLemore gives up one of the six outs the Orioles have left by bunting Hulett to second base, and Brady Anderson strikes out. Fortunately, a by-the-book pitching change by the Mariners backfires, as righty batter Mike Devereaux greets righty reliever Jeff Nelson with a fly ball that eludes right fielder Jay Buhner for a game-tying triple. Less fortunately, Cal Ripken, Jr. strands Devo at third by striking out. In the ninth inning, each club wastes a bases-loaded opportunity. Storm Davis turns a 1-2-3 double play off the bat of Tino Martinez to end the visitors' half, and Nelson walks three Birds before a McLemore grounder allows him to escape. It's free baseball for the capacity crowd in Baltimore.

Davis has an easier time with the Seattle bats in the 10th, allowing a leadoff single to Buhner before retiring three in a row, the last two on strikes. Mike Schooler takes the mound for the Mariners and brings the drama to a swift conclusion. Brady Anderson pokes Schooler's third pitch down the right field line for a triple, and two pitches later Devereaux plays the hero again by driving the ball deep to left field for a game-winning sac fly. The Orioles win 2-1 in 10 innings. Storm Davis, who stranded an inherited runner and tossed 2.1 scoreless innings, gets the W, and I get 1,000 words out of one picture. Well, 698 words. But who's counting?

Chris Hoiles, 1997 Collector's Choice #38

Nothing beats a great play-at-the-plate photo. Here we have Chris Hoiles lunging and laying the tag down with authority on Bernard Gilkey of the Mets. Hoiles has his tongue sticking out in intense concentration and his upper body twisted 45 degrees away from his legs. Gilkey has his batting gloves tucked in his left rear pocket, and his sliding legs have kicked up one hell of a dust cloud. With his left arm outstretched and his hand frozen in a clawlike gesture, it looks like he's trying to gouge the catcher's eyes out. Nice try, Bernard. You are OUT.

Chris Hoiles, 1997 Stadium Club #330

Well, it was nice while it lasted. From Thursday through Sunday, the Orioles crafted their longest winning streak yet this season, a whopping four games. It was especially encouraging to see the offensively-challenged O's rally from deficits of 3-0, 6-0, 5-0, and 3-0 again to put those contests in the win column. But during last night’s back-to-reality, 4-2 loss against Oakland, MLB.com beat reporter Britt Ghiroli quoted a disturbing statistic. So far in 2010, the Orioles are 0-46 when trailing after eight innings. No matter what the margin, they’ve been unable to overcome it. Among the many things that O’s fans have been denied this season, they’ve yet to be treated to the exquisite relief and euphoria of a probable defeat turned on its head into a sudden victory.

Few ninth-inning comebacks in recent Birds history have been as dramatic as the one delivered by Chris Hoiles on May 17, 1996. It was a Friday night game vs. the Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and it had been a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair, as was the M.O. for the '96 O's. The home team bombarded Seattle starter Bob Wolcott, with 11 of 18 batters reaching base against him. Young Orioles starter Jimmy Haynes survived five shaky innings of his own (8 H, 3 BB), but left with a 7-2 lead. The first man in from the 'pen was Arthur Rhodes, who did not retire any of the four batters he faced. All of them came around to score, with a little help by way of throwing errors by Roberto Alomar and B. J. Surhoff. Roger McDowell stopped the bleeding, but it was a whole new game at 7-6.

The Birds got some breathing room via a Rafael Palmeiro two-run home run in the home half of the seventh, making it 9-6. When Seattle threatened again in the eighth, Davey Johnson started playing bullpen roulette and busted. McDowell left with a run in, two on, and one out. Jesse Orosco retired the only batter he faced (Luis Sojo), leaving one more out to be collected by Alan Mills. Mills got that out, but first he walked pinch hitter Brian Hunter to load the bases and allowed an Alex Rodriguez grand slam to un-load them. 11-9 Mariners.

Cal Ripken, Jr. halved the deficit with a solo homer off of Mike Jackson, but Mills continued his Gasoline Man act in the ninth, with a two-run shot by Jay Buhner giving the M's and closer Norm Charlton a 13-10 cushion heading into the bottom of the ninth. That's when things really got wild.

Alomar led off with a walk, but Charlton got Palmeiro to strike out. A Bobby Bonilla double brought the tying run to the plate, but pinch hitter Billy Ripken (stop laughing) fouled out to first base and the Orioles were down to their last out. Cal picked up his little brother by coaxing a walk to load the bases, which placed the burden squarely on the shoulders of Chris Hoiles. The tension built as the veteran catcher worked the count full. Now the Birds were down to their last strike...the pitch was delivered by Charlton...

GRAND SLAM! ORIOLES WIN, 14-13!

What Hoiles did on that night is one of the rarest of baseball feats, the "ultimate grand slam": a walkoff bases-loaded homer that allows the home team to win by a single run. Only 22 other players in major league history have done it, but Chris was the only one to pull it off with two outs and a full count, causing some to dub his clout the "Ultimate Ultimate Grand Slam". Not a bad feather to put in your cap.

Chris Hoiles, 1994 Topps #295

Chris Hoiles wore four different uniform numbers during his time with the Orioles. Two of those were #23 and #42, which happen to be a couple of the six numbers that have been an ongoing theme in LOST, a show that has been an obsession of mine for much of its six-year run on television. (The Numbers, of course, are 4-8-15-16-23-42. Some have noted that all six have been retired by the Yankees - but then, there aren't many numbers left that they haven't retired!) Tonight, LOST concludes its incredible and often confouding run with a massive two-and-a-half hour series finale. I can't wait to see how it all ends.

Speaking of numbers, I've received a couple emails from readers that indicate that something is awry with my NumerOlogy site. Broken links, virus alerts...I've got no idea what is going on, but for your own security, I wouldn't recommend visiting the site until I can figure it all out. Oh, technology.

Chris Hoiles, 1994 Fleer Flair #3

Earlier this week I heard the unwelcome news that Chris Hoiles had resigned as the manager of the York Revolution, a nearby team in the independent Atlantic League. He had been the only manager the team ever had, leading them through a rough inaugural season in 2007 and providing a steadying influence that allowed the club to earn a postseason berth the following year. But the Revs were struggling badly this season, 33-63 overall and just 9-17 in the second half. Overall, Chris won 162 games and lost 200 in his tenure. Hoiles claims that it was his own decision to step aside. Even if that's not the case, you have to respect him for being classy enough to take full responsibility. He says that he believes the team needs a fresh voice to motivate them, and he encouraged good friend and longtime Orioles bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher Sam Snider to accept the position of interim manager.

It really is a shame that Hoiles couldn't stay on as the skipper. He'd moved his wife and three sons from Ohio to the York area earlier this summer, and now he says that he's unsure of his next move. I wish all the best to Chris and his family in this uncertain time.

Chris Hoiles, 1992 Topps Stadium Club #161

Then and there, in the commotion at home plate, Chris Hoiles made a terrible snap decision. He would have to reach over and gouge out the eyes of Luis Rivera. Nobody, and I mean nobody, insults the honor of Mama Hoiles. The fallout would be relatively minor. Rivera, he of the .624 career OPS, didn't really need those eyes anyway. The Red Sox could give the kid, Tim Naehring, an extended look in his place. Hoiles was suspended for five games by American League President Bobby Brown, but the MLBPA appealed on his behalf and the suspension was reduced to four games. Justice had been served, both on and off the field.

Chris Hoiles, 1991 Classic I #T13

Since I spent all day wrapped up in the tension of NFL playoff cliffhangers (the results of which were most pleasing to me, of course), now is as good a time as any to use my blog to answer a few questions posed by Patricia and Lucy of Dinged Corners. Enjoy!

Round One

1. If I didn't collect baseball cards, I'd collect...hmm. Tough question. I briefly dabbled in football cards in middle school, but it never stuck. I had plenty of action figures from one of my interests or another as a kid. Maybe WWF/WWE action figures. I'm still proud to own a fairly scarce Andre the Giant Hasbro figure.

2. My baseball heroes include one you probably wouldn't know from my blog or comments, and that person is Chris Hoiles. I haven't talked much about him, but when I look back at the guys I rooted for growing up, he seems like one of the most authentic. No steroid questions, no ego issues, and he was probably the best all-around catcher the O's ever had. Just a down-to-earth guy who sacrificed his body for baseball. Besides, I have a bit of a soft spot for catchers.

3. Every New Years, I resolve to build on my collection. Specifically, I'd like to complete a few more of my nearly-there sets in 2009.

4. If I could spend a day with one person from baseball history it would be Babe Ruth. I recently read a biography, and he was a guy who knew how to have a good time and was apparently very generous and big-hearted. As a fellow Baltimorean, I imagine we'd have some things to talk about.

Round Two

1. My favorite kind of dog is a beagle. Snoopy was a beagle, after all.

2. My favorite baseball player (currently) is Brian Roberts. He flies under the radar, because there's usually a bigger star on the team (Miguel Tejada, Nick Markakis) or at his position in the American League (Placido Polanco, Dustin Pedroia). But he gets on base, hits tons of doubles, and is always a threat to steal. He's also been a great philanthropist in the Baltimore area.

3. My favorite team is obviously the Baltimore Orioles. Members of my family have been rooting for the Birds for three generations, ever since the team moved from St. Louis in 1954. I was born into it, but I didn't become a baseball fan until I was ten years old. Fifteen years later, I'm still hanging in there!

4. My favorite baseball movie is A League of Their Own. For my money, it's the best thing that Tom Hanks has ever done. It's funny and tugs at the heart strings, so there's something for everyone.

5. My favorite baseball book is Lords of the Realm by John Helyar. It's a thorough history of the owners of major league baseball teams, many of whom are fascinating and colorful characters like Charley Finley, Ted Turner, and Bill Veeck. It's a deep look at labor relations in baseball, and shows how the greed and backstabbing among the richest of the rich backfired and led to the current runaway player salaries. The owners seriously have no one to blame but themselves.

6. My favorite card is surprisingly not an Oriole. It's Bill "Swish" Nicholson's 1952 Topps card, #185. It's the oldest card that I own, and it features the last MLB player to graduate from my alma mater, Washington College in Chestertown, MD. He was one of the best power hitters of the World War II era. I picked up the card from eBay in October 2007 for 10 bucks, and didn't realize until it was in my possession that the card back made mention of Washington College!

Orioles No-Hitter, 1991 Stadium Club Members Only

I just finished reading "It's Gone!...No, Wait a Minute" by Ken Levine. It's the memoir of a Hollywood screenwriter who realized a childhood dream by becoming a baseball radio announcer. In 1991, he made his major league debut on Orioles telecasts, teaming with Jon Miller and Chuck Thompson. It sounds like nice work if you can get it, but the Birds were godawful that year: 67-95, 24 games back of Toronto in sixth place. One of the things that struck me about his witty, honest account of that long season was just how many memorable moments there were in such a lousy campaign. He marveled daily at the otherworldly MVP exploits of Cal Ripken, Jr. (.323, 34 HR, 114 RBI), witnessed two no-hitters (one a four-pitcher combo against Oakland, the other a Wilson Alvarez white-washing of the Birds), and of course broadcasted the emotional final ceremonies at Memorial Stadium. Whenever the O's fall apart in another endless summer, I try to remind myself of the positive aspects of the long baseball season. Even the worst teams win 65 games a year, and there will be dozens of nights when it seems like your team is on top of the world.

Chris Hoiles, 1994 Fleer Ultra All-Star #1

It might be somewhat unbecoming of me to kick the Yankees while they're down (sorry, Eric), but I'm still stinging from the weekend sweep in the Bronx and I need to find comfort where I can. As of last night, it's official: the New York Yankees will fail to make the playoffs for the first time in a non-strike season since 1993. To give you some idea of how long it's been, that was the final year of the traditional divison alignment: two seven-team divisions in each league. Roberto Alomar and the Toronto Blue Jays won the American League East en route to their second straight World Series title, and Frank Thomas' Chicago White Sox took the crown in the West. The Buck Showalter-managed Yankees shook off years of ineptitude to be runners-up, seven games behind the Jays. Just three games back of the Yankees were my Orioles, tied with a powerful Tigers team. The offensive standout of that Baltimore team was the man you see above, stalwart catcher Chris Hoiles (.310 AVG/.416 OBP/.585 SLG).

As you can see, it's been a long time since I've had the chance to relax and enjoy the postseason without having to worry about the damned Yankees buying another ring. Of course, there are still those Boogeymen from Boston, to say nothing of the Dodgers and the detestable Manny Ramirez. But I'll take what I can get, you know? In the meantime, it doesn't matter that New York will win over 90 games, or that the Birds will finish miles behind them in last place. Today they are a third-place time, incapable of even sneaking in as a wild card. It serves them right for trying to rely on immature drunks like Sidney Ponson and insincere steroid abusers such as Jason Giambi. Take it to the golf course, boys.