Chris Ray, 2010 Upper Deck #86

Just a hunch, guys and girls, but I think Chris Ray is tipping his pitches.

Chris Ray, 2007 Fleer #298

Chris Ray was an Oriole for parts of four seasons, but I didn't know much about the guy. He was born in 1982 (like me), was a product of the College of William and Mary, and used Marilyn Manson's cover of "Sweet Dreams" as his walk-in music from the bullpen...talk about creepy. But it turns out that Chris is also a beer fanatic.

Now I appreciate and enjoy a good brew while I'm at the ballpark or sitting on the couch watching the game on TV, but Chris Ray is serious about his beer. According to this blog post by Kendall Jones, the reliever is an avid home brewer, with greater aspirations for the future. He and his brother have hopes of someday opening their own brewery in Ashland, VA, where Chris lives in the offseason. With the help of his father-in-law (a farmer), he plans to grow his own hops.

The article came about because Chris and Kendall visited Seattle's Fremont Brewing Company last Monday to brew a special batch of beer. Homefront IPA will be sold at several locations in the Seattle area, including Safeco Field, with the proceeds going to Operation Homefront, a charitable organization that assists the families of military members and wounded veterans.

It's good to see Chris putting his other talents to good use, and hopefully the press that he gets helps him to connect with others who appreciate his craft:

I asked if any of his fellow Mariners like craft beer, and if he and the rest of the bullpen ever slip out for a good beer after a game. “Not really,” he said. “There are a few guys, but it’s pretty hard converting light beer drinkers. I do bring my beer into the club house, though.”

Bunch of Philistines.

Chris Ray, 2008 Topps Gold #172

So the San Francisco Giants are World Champions. Though Aubrey Huff was the only ex-Oriole to actually play in the World Series for the Giants, but there were three other former O's who made contributions to San Fran throughout the 2010 season and will ostensibly receive their rings. How did they do?

Aubrey Huff, as is his wont, followed an awful season with a great one. After batting a career-low .241 with a brutal 81 OPS+, he signed with the Giants for $3 million and proved to be a bargain. He hit .290 and led the club with a .385 on-base percentage, 100 runs scored, 26 home runs, and 86 RBI. He was second to Andres Torres with 35 doubles and 7 stolen bases (!) in 7 attempts. There was also some business about a lucky thong that I just don't have the strength to discuss. In the first postseason experience of his career he batted .268 with one home run and eight RBI in 15 games, which included a .294 mark (5-for-17) in the World Series. His two-run homer in Game Four put the Giants on top for good, and he was on the field when Brian Wilson struck out Nelson Cruz to end it all and touch off the celebration.

Eli Whiteside spent eight years paying dues in the minor leagues (the first seven with the Birds) before the Giants made him their number two catcher in 2009. In his current capacity as Buster Posey's backup, he's about as busy as the Maytag repairman. But he hit .238 in the 56 games he did play, with four home runs. Last night he was one of the first guys out of the dugout to jump on the pile in the infield.

Denny Bautista debuted with the O's in 2004, back when he was a highly promising young pitcher. He was lit up in two games, and then was traded to the Royals for Jason Grimsley, to the dismay and confusion of many fans. He's never followed through on that promise, and this year the Giants became his sixth big league team. Denny appeared in 31 games as a reliever from May through August and was perfectly acceptable, compiling a 3.74 ERA and striking out 44 in 33.2 innings before a demotion to AAA Fresno. He is currently a free agent.

Of course, there's also Chris Ray. As an Oriole, he peaked with 33 saves at age 24 in 2006, but never got back on track after Tommy John surgery ended his 2007 season. He was traded to the Rangers this past offseason for Kevin Millwood, and was famously traded in midseason for Bengie Molina (how many times over the past week did you hear about how Bengie would get a ring no matter which team won?). His ERA with the Giants was an underwhelming 4.13 in 28 games, but 6 of his 11 earned runs allowed came in two disastrous outings. He grabbed three wins, two holds, and a save in relief for San Francisco, but was left off of the postseason roster.

Kudos to all of these players. I can't wait until my World Series recap involves 25 players with ties to the Orioles, if you get my drift.

Chris Ray, 2009 Topps Gold #542

This photo of Chris Ray makes it look as if he's turning his back on us, preparing to make his exit. That's only appropriate, since he is now a Texas Ranger. Today, the Orioles made their first significant move of the offseason by trading Ray for veteran starting pitcher Kevin Millwood and $3 million (to defray the costs of his $12 million salary).

I wasn't crazy about Millwood when I first heard that the O's wanted him, but I've talked myself into him pretty quickly. The price was right: as good as Ray once was, relief pitchers are pretty replaceable - particularly ones with a Tommy John surgery and a 7.27 ERA in 2009. $9 million is still pretty steep, but the O's payroll is pretty low otherwise. Besides, the Orioles always need pitching. Even with their parcel of talented young pitchers, they're not completely stocked. A guy who makes 30 starts every year like clockwork is a valuable commodity, and by all accounts he's a model citizen who is willing and able to talk pitching with his less experienced teammates. By recent O's standards, a 4.02 career ERA is like a Cy Young Award. And even though his ERA has been high for most of his time in Texas, Baltimore's ballpark is actually less hitter-friendly. I don't think he's a panacea, but he'll be a solid addition to the team.

Oh, and he's not Adam Eaton.

Anyway, so long Chris Ray. I wish you nothing but good luck and good health, even if you imploded any time you came within sniffing distance of pinstripes. Welcome to Charm City, Kevin Millwood. Even if you might only be here for a year or less, I hope I have ample reason to root for you. It's nice to have a Kevin on the team again.

Chris Ray, 2008 Topps Heritage #45

Here's the first Oriole card that I pulled in the next set that I will be attempting to collect. I've loved Topps Heritage ever since I picked up my first card of it, the 2002 Melvin Mora that recently appeared in this space. But due to my dormant collecting period, which coincided with the first seven releases under the Heritage brand, this is the first time I've had a chance to try to put together a set. With a higher price than the regular Topps set as well as the magic of short prints and wacky variations, this should prove to be a challenge. But hey, fortune favors the bold, right?

If the design of this card looks familiar, it's because it's lovingly based on one of the coolest designs Topps ever threw at us. That would be their 1959 set, which included this George Bamberger card. Lest you think that Topps is pandering and color-coordinating every player's card to match his team, I assure you that each team's various players feature randomly chosen colors and that Chris' Creamsicle Orange border seems to be a happy coincidence. For instance, I also pulled a yellow-bordered Aubrey Huff out of another pack.

Chris Ray might want to take up card collecting to pass the time while he rehabilitates his right elbow. He may miss the 2008 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last August. However, Chris has been spotted in Orioles camp this spring, and reports on his progress are optimistic. He might also want to spend a few hours researching O's history. A quick scan of the All-Time Roster at my NumerOlogy website would help him discover that he is one of just thirteen players in the 54-year history of the Orioles to have a three-letter last name (joining Howie Fox, Billy Cox, Charley Lau, Dave May, Lee May, Rudy May, Mark Lee, Esteban Yan, Jimmy Key, Derrick May, Geronimo Gil, and Radhames Liz).

Or, if he's looking to interact with his fans, maybe he could answer a question. On Baseball Reference, his full name is listed as Christopher T. Ray. What does the "T" stand for? Or is it a stand-alone letter, like Harry S Truman? Inquiring minds want to know, Chris.