Gregg Olson, 1992 Studio #128

YouTube continues to be my baseball lifeline in 2020. Today's special took me back to July 11, 1990, as the Orioles hosted the Royals for an ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball telecast. It was an odd one-game series, wedged in after the All-Star Break to make up one of the games lost in the brief lockout at the beginning of the season. The broadcast team was a fresh-faced Gary Thorne, Norm Hitzges, and (ugh) Mike Lupica. Thankfully, Lupica was the third man, and didn't talk as much as you might fear. If you're familiar with Gary Thorne's work, you won't be surprised that he wryly referred to the game as a "one-night stand". Though there's an inning or so missing near the beginning, this was a surprisingly fun little midseason game between two scuffling clubs. George Brett slugged three doubles for Kansas City, one of them marking his 2,600th career hit. Bo Jackson (pre-traumatic hip injury) made an incredible sprinting catch in center field to deny Joe Orsulak, with his momentum causing him to literally run up the outfield fence in three steps. If you don't feel like watching two-and-a-quarter hours of a 30-year-old VHS transfer, skip to 31:20 for that play.

Things didn't look good for the O's early in this game, as a Randy Milligan error at first base opened the floodgates in the top of the third. In the blink of an eye, a 2-0 lead turned into a 5-2 deficit. Bob Milacki couldn't make it through the inning, as KC strung together five straight two-out hits off of Milacki and reliever Brian Holton. But the rest of the Baltimore bullpen held the line, with Ben McDonald (in his ninth career game), C*rt Sch*ll*ng, Mark Williamson, and Gregg Olson combining for six scoreless innings. Meanwhile, the Oriole bats clawed back with three runs in the home half of the fourth to tie it, but the score remained deadlocked until the bottom of the seventh. Facing Maryland native Steve Farr, the Birds played a bit of small ball, turning four singles and a Brad Komminsk sac bunt into two runs. Orsulak had the go-ahead knock, and Milligan provided the insurance run. Manager Frank Robinson probably felt secure handing the ball to Olson with a 7-5 lead, but the Otter made it interesting by loading the bases in the ninth. He did strike out the side in the midst of all of that drama, with third base umpire Don Denkinger ringing up Willie Wilson on a borderline check swing to end the game. It was the 18th save of the year for Olson, and he preserved the first career win for Schilling, who retired all six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings. There would be 215 more W's for Schilling by the time he hung 'em up in 2007, but this relief appearance marked his only victory in orange and black. No matter how odious Curt may be as a person, it is noteworthy that this particular game is available to watch online.

Gregg Olson, 1991 Donruss #393

Valued reader Zach left a comment on yesterday's blog entry requesting the zesty green border of 1991 Donruss Series 2, which solved my daily dilemma of which card to post. The base cards in this set are enough of an eyesore, with their neon Trapper Keeper stripes and splotches in the margins, but the MVP subset cranks it to 11. The goofy clip art baseballs in the background of the photo are reminiscent of Donruss' 1987 set, and the bold yellow "MVP" wordmark on top, complete with rainbow gradient drop shadow, complete the sensory overload.

As for Gregg Olson: with all due respect to the Otter, the fact that Donruss tabbed him as the most valuable player for the Orioles in the just-concluded 1990 season is emblematic of the team's tumble to fifth place in the East. The Birds' sophomore closer was very good, with a 2.42 ERA, 37 saves, and 74 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. But if the standout player on your club is only on the field for the equivalent of eight-plus games, there are probably some everyday players who didn't meet expectations.

Gregg Olson, 1993 Donruss #117

I hope you don't mind if I mention my 1993 Topps set blog here once in a while. After all, this blog still gets more eyeballs than that one, and a guy's got to sell himself, even when he's writing for free. I'm about 30 percent of the way through the base set, and I'm continually surprised and amused by the things that I'm learning about the players of my adolescence. Today's subject is Gregg Olson, somebody with whom I'd expect to have more familiarity than most other players from that time. But in a few minutes spent on Baseball Reference and a bit of Googling, I discovered the following things that I'd either forgotten or never knew in the first place:

-In his Rookie of the Year campaign in 1989, the Otter allowed one home run in 85 innings. One. Uno. That's nuts.

-After he tore elbow ligaments in August 1993 and the Orioles chose not to re-sign him, Olson pitched for eight other MLB teams through the 2001 season. He went from the Braves to the Indians to the Royals to the Tigers to the Astros to the Twins to the Royals again to the Diamondbacks to the Dodgers. I remember him with Atlanta, Arizona...maybe Detroit and/or Kansas City if I dig deep enough. There's so much baseball that has happened without my noticing.

-While playing for Buck Showalter's D-backs, Gregg notched his only hit in five career plate appearances...and it was a two-run homer, with Florida's Oscar Henriquez serving as the victim.

-In his post-pitching life, Olson has worked as a scout for the Padres.

See, you learn something (or things) new every day. If you're not already reading my 1993 Topps blog, you're cheating yourself. Or you've got better things to do with your time, and I can't begrudge you that.

Gregg Olson, 1992 Triple Play #13

The sands of the 2013 baseball season are slipping quickly through the hourglass. School is back in session, it's still dark outside when I get up for work, and pumpkin-flavored everything is back on sale. Oh, and here comes the National Football League to horn in on the action.

Last night, I drafted my fantasy football team in my uncle's ten-team league. I'm not sure how he talked me into it, since fantasy football is an excruciating, frustrating exercise in my experience. I've done no prep, as evidenced by how many running backs and receivers were completely new to my wondering eyes as I scanned the draft board. But maybe I'll catch lightning in a bottle like I did a few years back and laugh all the way to the bank. More likely, I'll have three key players out with injuries by week six and I'll be scanning the waiver wire for platoon running backs with an upside of eight points. At the very least, I had a little chuckle when it was time to select a tight end and the best one available was Greg Olsen of the Panthers. Come on down, Greg...when Cam Newton inexplicably stops targeting you this year, I'll console myself by cracking jokes about your mean curveball.

Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson, and Gregg Olson, 1992 Score #427

The combined no-hitter started by Bob Milacki and finished by the O's bullpen on July 13, 1991 was a rare highlight for the Orioles in Oakland. For as long as I can remember, it seems like the Oakland Coliseum (or O.co Coliseum, as some idiot decided it should be called) has been a special house of horrors for the Birds. But suddenly, there is sweet relief. Jim Johnson wriggled out of a bases loaded, no-out jam in the ninth inning today to seal a 7-3 win and to guarantee the Orioles their first series win in Oakland since 2007. But by taking the first three games of this four-game set, the O's are also assured of winning their first four-game road series against the A's since July 31-August 3, 1997. Just as a refresher, the club's winning pitchers in that series were Armando Benitez, Mike Mussina, and Shawn Boskie. (I write, read, and think about the Orioles 365 days a year, and it probably would have taken me 100 guesses or more to tab Shawn Boskie. He won a half-dozen games here.) Not that I'm getting greedy, but a win in tomorrow's finale would give Baltimore their first four-game sweep in Oakland since May 22-25, 1987. Ken Dixon had three saves in that series, don't ya know.

A lot of smart people assumed that the O's would come back down to earth in 2013 after going 29-9 in one-run games in their wild-card run last year. It's still early, but we've got 24 games to look at, almost 15 percent of the season. The Orioles are 15-9, including an 8-4 road record and a 9-6 mark in the brutal American League East. They're in second place in the division, 1.5 games behind the Red Sox and 6.5 up on the offseason darlings in Toronto. I'm glad the good times aren't over in Birdland just yet.

Gregg Olson, 1991 Studio #8

The Orioles really missed the boat in the early 1990s when it came to merchandising. Take a look at the brooding, steely masculinity of this Gregg Olson portrait and tell me that you wouldn't have bought a team-branded cologne endorsed by the Otter. "Eau de O", anyone?

Well, it would've been a damn sight better than that Yankee fragrance.

Gregg Olson, 1989 Donruss #46

Now that I've posted yesterday's blog entry on a 15-hour delay, here's a short little something for Super Bowl Sunday. I don't know many people who are greatly enamored with 1989 Donruss' rainbow gradient borders, but the purple ones (as seen here on Gregg Olson's rookie card) are a great way to tangentially throw a little support to my other favorite team. In a few hours, the Baltimore Ravens will have the opportunity to win their second Lombardi Trophy, and the first since January 2001. They have the chance to send Ray Lewis (and possibly Ed Reed, because who honestly knows how long he'll be around?) out on top, and to put a pretty damned good exclamation point on a fine year for the local sports teams. Go Ravens! Beat those 49ers!

Gregg Olson, 1990 Score Rising Stars #32

Now that the Orioles have put "Baltimore" back on their road jerseys and returned the cartoon bird to their caps, I think their next step should be to bring back stirrup socks. It's a much better look than solid black socks, says I.

Gregg Olson, 1994 Topps #723

Did You Know? Nearly two full decades after throwing his last pitch for the team, Gregg Olson is still the Orioles' all-time leader with 160 career saves. But he never topped 40 saves in a single season, peaking with 37 in 1990. Current O's closer Jim Johnson blew by that mark in mid-August, and last night he broke Randy Myers' single-season club record by recording his 46th save. Dirty Jim is already seventh on Baltimore's career saves leaderboard in just his second year as closer. Today he extended his own record with save #47 of 2012, the 68th of his career. (He got it in a 12-inning, 9-6 win over Boston. 16 straight W's in extras. Ho hum.) Next up on the career leaderboard is Eddie Watt, with 74. Watt's not likely to be caught this year, but he should look over his shoulder anyhow.

Gregg Olson, 1993 Fleer Flair #155

The value of a closer can be overstated sometimes, but it's better to have a good one than not. For five years, the Orioles knew that they could rely on Gregg Olson to preserve narrow ninth-inning leads. Similarly, the 2012 O's would be in deep trouble without relief ace Jim Johnson. Today, the first-time All-Star earned his league-leading 28th save by closing out a second straight one-run win over the Twins. The team is now 37-0 when leading after eight innings, 18-6 in one-run games, and 32-14 in games decided by two runs or less. You can thank Baltimore's sinkerballing closer, who has only blown two save opportunities all season. Incidentally, the Orioles won both of those games in extra innings. We're not in Jorge Julio or Kevin Gregg territory any more.

Gregg Olson, 1992 Donruss #110

Gregg Olson was one of the goofiest-looking guys to ever put on an Oriole uniform, and that's before you get to talking about what he looked like in action. Have you ever seen another pitcher whose delivery left him bow-legged?

Gregg Olson, 1989 Donruss The Rookies #35

I realize that Gregg Olson's nickname was "Otter" but with eyebrows like those, he probably should have been called "Caterpillar".

Gregg Olson, 1991 Cracker Jack #22

I own a variety of "miniature" cards, which is to say that they measure less than the standard 2.5"x3.5'. But this card is the smallest of them all, clocking in at one-quarter the size of a regular card. Holding it (very carefully) in my hand makes me feel like a giant, the same way I felt last weekend while handling the tiny appetizer fork and spoon that were handed out with the hors d'oeuvres at a wedding reception. On another note, I'm more than ready to go into hibernation from weddings. There's one more on my calendar later this month, and it will be the sixth I've attended in the past sixth months. With the exception of yours truly, is there anybody else out there who could possibly still be unmarried?

Anyway, just to give you a better idea of the relative size of this bitty Gregg Olson card, I've scanned it along with the regular 1991 Topps card that it was based upon.

If only there were a jumbo version of this card, we could have an infinite regression effect.

Gregg Olson, 1990 Fleer League Leaders #28

If there's a sports Hall of Fame somewhere in North America, chances are good that they're inducting an Oriole soon. I've already mentioned Harold Baines (Orioles Hall of Fame) and Ben McDonald (Lousiana Sports Hall of Fame), but I've heard tell of four more in the past few weeks.

-Gregg Olson will be one of the first honorees on Auburn University's Baseball Wall of Fame, part of a loaded class that also includes Bo Jackson, Tim Hudson, and Frank Thomas.

-Chris Hoiles and pitcher Paul Mitchell have been tabbed for the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame, and will bring the total membership to 80. Hoiles hit .348 with 18 homers for the Wings in 1990, and Mitchell had a 32-14 record and a 3.16 ERA for the O's former AAA affiliate from 1973-1975.

-Though he was passed over by Cooperstown in his first year of eligibility, Roberto Alomar gained entry into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Our neighbors to the north also righted another BBWAA wrong by honoring reliever Paul Quantrill, he said, tongue planted firmly in cheek. Has anyone ever been to the Canadian Hall in St. Mary's, Ontario? Is there a nifty museum?

-On Monday, catcher Dave Criscione was inducted into the Chautauqua County (NY) Sports Hall of Fame. Dave had a seven-game stint with the Orioles in 1977 in which he went 3-for-9 with a walkoff homer. I'd give you the whole story, but that sounds like a future full-length post to me.

Did I miss anyone?

Gregg Olson, 1992 Score '90s Impact Player #87

In 1989, Gregg Olson was the first rookie ever chosen to be Most Valuable Oriole. Have you ever been curious about the Most Valuable Orioles throughout history? Each year since 1954, the local sports media types have selected one standout player from the most recently concluded season. However, the comprehensive list doesn't seem to be easily found online. Fortunately, I recently received a 1984 game program from my uncle, and it included a year-by-year recap of the team's fortunes...complete with notations of the MVOs! So here are as many of the 56 MVO selections as I have unearthed, presented in order. If a player is a multiple-time winner, it will be noted after his position. I did as much digging as I could, but there are still six from 1984 through 1997 who are M.I.A. If anyone knows about the missing half-dozen, let me know. At least two of them are Eddie Murray; he's credited online as a seven-time MVO. Take this knowledge and use it well.

UPDATED 10/13: Big thanks to reader HandyAndy, who filled in the blanks for me!

1954: Chuck Diering, CF (.258 AVG, .349 OBP)
1955: Dave Philley, RF (.299 AVG, .367 OBP)
1956: Bob Nieman, LF (.322 AVG, .940 OPS, 12 HR, 64 RBI)
1957: Billy Gardner, 2B (.262, 36 2B)
1958: Gus Triandos, C (30 HR, 79 RBI)
1959: Gene Woodling, OF (.300 AVG, .402 OBP, 14 HR, 77 RBI)
1960: Brooks Robinson, 3B (.294, 27 2B, 14 HR, 88 RBI)
1961: Jim Gentile, 1B (.302 AVG, 1.069 OPS, 46 HR, 141 RBI)
1962: Brooks Robinson, 3B, 2x (.303, 29 2B, 23 HR, 86 RBI)
1963: Stu Miller, RP (2.24 ERA, 9.1 K/9, 27 SV)
1964: Brooks Robinson, 3B, 3x (.317, 35 2B, 28 HR, 118 RBI)
1965: Stu Miller, RP, 2x (14-7, 1.89 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 24 SV)
1966: Frank Robinson, RF (.316 AVG, 1.047 OPS, 34 2B, 49 HR, 122 RBI)
1967: Frank Robinson, RF, 2x (.311 AVG, .403 OBP, 30 HR, 94 RBI)
1968: Dave McNally, SP (22-10, 1.95 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 18 CG)
1969: Boog Powell, 1B (.304, 37 HR, 121 RBI)
1970: Boog Powell, 1B, 2x (.297 AVG, .412 OBP, 35 HR, 114 RBI)
1971: (tie) Brooks Robinson, 3B, 4x (.272, 20 HR, 92 RBI)
Frank Robinson, RF, 3x (.281, 28 HR, 99 RBI)
1972: Jim Palmer, SP (21-10, 2.07 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 18 CG)
1973: Jim Palmer, SP, 2x (22-9, 2.40 ERA, 19 CG)
1974: (tie) Paul Blair, CF (.261, 27 2B, 17 HR, 62 RBI, 27 SB, Gold Glove)
Mike Cuellar, SP (22-10, 3.11 ERA, 20 CG)
1975: Ken Singleton, RF (.300 AVG, .415 OBP, 37 2B, 15 HR, 55 RBI)
1976: Lee May, 1B (.258, 25 HR, 109 RBI)
1977: Ken Singleton, RF, 2x (.328 AVG, .438 OBP!, 24 HR, 99 RBI)
1978: Eddie Murray, 1B (.285, 32 2B, 27 HR, 95 RBI)
1979: Ken Singleton, RF, 3x (.295 AVG, .405 OBP, 35 HR, 111 RBI)
1980: Al Bumbry, CF (.318 AVG, .392 OBP, 29 2B, 118 R, 44 SB)
1981: Eddie Murray, 1B, 2x (.294, 22 HR, 78 RBI in 99 G)
1982: Eddie Murray, 1B, 3x (.316 AVG, .391 OBP, 30 2B, 32 HR, 110 RBI)
1983: (tie) Eddie Murray, 1B, 4x (.306 AVG, .393 OBP, 30 2B, 33 HR, 111 RBI)
Cal Ripken, SS (.318, 47 2B, 27 HR, 102 RBI)
1984: Eddie Murray, 1B, 5x (.306 AVG, .410 OBP, 29 HR, 110 RBI)
1985: Eddie Murray, 1B, 6x (.297 AVG, .383 OBP, 37 2B, 31 HR, 124 RBI)
1986: Don Aase, RP (6-7, 2.98 ERA, 34 SV)
1987: Larry Sheets, OF (.316, 31 HR, 94 RBI)
1988: (tie) Eddie Murray, 1B, 7x (.306 AVG, .393 OBP, 30 2B, 33 HR, 111 RBI)
Cal Ripken, SS, 2x (.318, 47 2B, 27 HR, 102 RBI)
1989: Gregg Olson, RP (5-2, 1.69 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 27 SV)
1990: Cal Ripken, SS, 3x (.250 AVG, .341 OBP, 28 2B, 21 HR, 84 RBI)
1991: Cal Ripken, SS, 4x (.323, 46 2B, 34 HR, 114 RBI)
1992: Mike Devereaux, CF (.276, 29 2B, 11 3B, 24 HR, 107 RBI)
1993: Chris Hoiles, C (.310 AVG, 1.001 OPS, 29 HR, 82 RBI)
1994: No selection (Boo, Bud!)
1995: Rafael Palmeiro, 1B (.310, 30 2B, 39 HR, 104 RBI)
1996: Rafael Palmeiro, 1B, 2x (.289, 40 2B, 39 HR, 142 RBI)
1997: Randy Myers, RP (2-3, 1.51 ERA, 45 SV)
1998: Rafael Palmeiro, 1B, 3x (.296, 36 2B, 43 HR, 121 RBI)
1999: B. J. Surhoff, LF (.308, 38 2B, 28 HR, 107 RBI)
2000: Delino DeShields, 2B (.296, 43 2B, 10 HR, 86 RBI, 37 SB)
2001: Jeff Conine, 1B (.311 AVG, .386 OBP, 14 HR, 97 RBI)
2002: Rodrigo Lopez, SP (15-9, 3.57 ERA)
2003: Jay Gibbons, RF (.277, 39 2B, 23 HR, 100 RBI)
2004: Miguel Tejada, SS (.311, 40 2B, 34 HR, 150 RBI)
2005: Brian Roberts, 2B (.314 AVG, .387 OBP, 45 2B, 18 HR, 73 RBI, 27 SB)
2006: Miguel Tejada, SS, 2x (.330, 37 2B, 24 HR, 100 RBI)
2007: Nick Markakis, RF (.300, 43 2B, 23 HR, 112 RBI)
2008: Aubrey Huff, DH (.304, 48 2B, 32 HR, 108 RBI)
2009: Brian Roberts, 2B, 2x (.283, 56 2B, 16 HR, 79 RBI, 30 SB)

Gregg Olson, 1990 U.S. Playing Card Co. Major League All-Stars

Gregg Olson is the four of clubs in this set of playing cards. But today, horrendous Orioles fifth starter Adam Eaton was clubbed for four runs. (You see what I did there?) He lasted four innings, allowed ten baserunners, and threw 100 excruciating pitches.

I have been bracing myself for the worst ever since it became painfully obvious that the O's were breaking camp with the chronically brutal Eaton in their rotation, but that didn't make it any easier to watch him pitch and blunt the momentum of a surprisingly successful season-opening homestand. His presence on the mound was a white flag being waved toward the Tampa Bay dugout, and I understood how Phillies fans could have booed him earlier this week when he showed up at Citizens Bank Park to claim his 2008 World Championship ring.

Look, I understand that the Orioles are taking some body blows this year to preserve their promising young pitchers. Bring the kids along slowly, let them progress through the minors for greater long-term benefit. But that doesn't mean that you have to waste every fifth game on a guy with a career ERA+ of 86 (again, 100 is average). Take a chance on journeyman Chris Waters or David Pauley, both of whom are waiting at AAA Norfolk. Bring up the most developed of the young arms, Brad Bergesen, who outpitched most everyone in Fort Lauderdale. Completely do away with the fifth starter and bring the bullpen-by-committee approach to an entire ballgame. Place a call to Fernando Valenzuela and see if he's got one last comeback in him. Pretty much anything would be preferable to Adam Eaton. Unless Dave Trembley takes advantage of an upcoming off-day to skip Eaton's next turn, he'd be slated next to pitch in Fenway against the Red Sox. The mere thought makes me break out in a cold sweat.

Am I being reactionary? Sure. But I value the little bits of my sanity that the O's have not yet taken.

Stacy Jones and Gregg Olson, 1992 Fleer #701

It's been a while since I did a theme week, and since I'm headed to San Diego on Thursday, this seemed like a good time for another. I sort of stumbled into it when I realized that I wanted to use multi-player cards for both Sunday and Monday, so now it's officially Combo Card Week.

I just picked up this card in my most recent meet-up with Ed, a loyal reader and avid collector. I love it for several reasons. Fleer's Super Star Specials were always great for unconventional shots of your favorite team's players posing with guys from other teams. In this instance, they were able to find four players from the Orioles and White Sox who had all played at Auburn University. You've got one of the greatest athletes of the 1980s (of all time, really), the young star who would become the greatest hitter in Pale Hose history, a stud closer with a killer curveball, and some random righthanded rookie who pitched 11 innings. In a funny coincidence, Stacy Jones pitched only two more innings in his major league career...for the 1996 White Sox. It's somewhat fitting that the gradient border fades to white on Stacy's end of the card. There's also a great view of the new Comiskey Park behind the quartet, with the famous scoreboard on full display.

In case you're interested, this picture would have been taken during the weekend of August 2-4, 1991. The visiting O's won two out of three. Ben McDonald beat Alex Fernandez 3-0 in the opener, despite Chicago outhitting the Birds 8-5. Bob Milacki tossed seven strong innings to best Jack McDowell by a score of 6-3 in the middle game. But ancient knuckleballer Charlie Hough salvaged the finale, shutting out the Orioles and rookie Mike Mussina 1-0. Gregg Olson saved the two Baltimore wins, the Big Hurt went 5-for-10 with 2 HR and 4 RBI in the series, and Bo (who was still sidelined with his hip injury) and Stacy Jones did not play.

Gregg Olson, 1990 Topps Coins #3

When is a baseball card not a baseball card? When it's a small metallic coin, of course. That also explains why the scan is so crummy. As you can see, the scanner focused on the outer edge, which was pressed directly against the surface. But chances are that you know what Gregg Olson looks like anyhow. This coin is from a 60-coin set that Topps released in 1990; the other two Orioles on the checklist are Cal Ripken, Jr. and Mickey Tettleton. This is the first coin in my baseball card collection, received last year in a blind trade. (I have since picked up a 1964 Brooks Robinson Topps Coin in another trade, incidentally.) I can see why these didn't catch on. They're an interesting novelty, but they're no match for the tactile experience of flipping through a stack or pack of cardboard. Besides, there's always the danger of rust, though this one has held up well over the strain of the last two decades.

These coins remind me of Pogs, which were an absolute mania for myself and most other kids in the mid-1990s. I still have a binder packed with those goofy cardboard milkcaps, including a full set of 50 Simpsons characters. Considering that I could count the number of times that I actually attempted to "play" with the Pogs on one hand, it seems likely that I wouldn't have been the type to flip or pitch cards in the 1950s and 1960s. My personality is more of the buy and trade and organize and gawk variety.

By the way...pink?

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.

Gregg Olson, 1989 Topps #161

UPDATE: It's been brought to my attention that Le'Ron went to Alabama, not Auburn. As someone who is friends with an Auburn graduate, I am aware that such a lapse is a cardinal sin on my part. The lesson, as always: no matter how sure you think you are, always look it up first. Oops.

From one McClain to another. Sure, the player pictured above is closer Gregg Olson, the newest inductee to the Orioles Hall of Fame. But I posted this card because it depicts "the Otter" in his Auburn Tigers uniform. Since the O's have the day off, I don't think they'll hold a grudge if I talk a little football. The Ravens opened the NFL season in style today, pounding the visiting Bengals 17-10 with a major contribution by another Auburn Tiger, young fullback Le'Ron McClain. After carrying the ball 16 times total in the 2007 season, the second-year pro had a career day, toting the pigskin 19 times for 86 yards to wear down the Cincinnati defense. He also showed good hands out of the backfield, grabbing two passes for 24 yards in support of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. He moves pretty well for a guy who tips the scales at 260 pounds. In case you're curious, Gregg Olson is listed at 206 pounds. At 6'4", Gregg stands four inches taller than Le'Ron.

While I certainly wish that Baltimore had two strong franchises to root for, it is nice to be able to celebrate a strong performance by one club. The Orioles' neighbors in purple and black will have to keep me distracted until the tenants of Camden Yards are ready to uphold their end of the bargain.