Gregg Zaun, 1996 Score Dugout Collection #110

Now that the Orioles unfortunately cleared my schedule for the weekend, I'm going silent until Monday. I'll be back with an elegy for a fantastic baseball season that ended a bit too soon. I promise I won't be away as long as Gregg Zaun, who hasn't been featured on this blog since his brief return to the O's roster back in 2009.

Gregg ZAUN, 1996 Score Select #170

With the Orioles deciding to do without Kevin Millar's boisterous clubhouse leadership (and 87 OPS+) in 2009, there was some question about who would keep the team loose. Unsurprisingly, the great and mighty ZAUN has taken some initiative. It was recently announced that the O's were reviving the kangaroo court, an old tradition that was originally brought to Baltimore by Frank Robinson. Naturally, the team's veteran catcher will be the judge.

In case you're unfamiliar with the concept of kangaroo court, it's a mock trial system that takes place after games. A player will be charged with some offense great or small. Maybe Ryan Freel forgets how many outs there are in an inning, or Luke Scott breaks out a particularly ugly dance move in the dugout. (In a famous example, Frank fined Brooks Robinson for "showboating" in the 1970 World Series, when he won the MVP!) The accused pleads his case to the court, and then the judge (ZAUN) renders his judgment. The sentence is usually a small fine, which will go towards charity or dinner for the players...or both. It's a fun opportunity to promote team chemistry and keep everyone on their toes.

With "Baltimore" reappearing on the road jerseys last night, it's nice to see another piece of the good old days coming back to Birdland.

Greg(g) Zaun, 1996 Pinnacle Summit #167

I'm not sure when exactly Greg Zaun became Gregg, but the latter is now the widely accepted spelling. All of his cards from his Orioles days refer to him as "Greg", though. Clear as mud, right?

Gregg Zaun could be on his way back to Baltimore. The O's are in a precarious situation as they shop for a veteran catcher in the wake of last month's trade of Ramon Hernandez. Matt Wieters will be assuming his throne some time in 2009, the only question is when. So no matter who the O's sign, they'll be signing him with the understanding that he is coming to town as a placeholder, a Band-Aid who will be phased out as soon as the Chosen One arrives from Norfolk. Maybe it will be May, maybe it will be July, but when the times comes, you'll be relegated to the bench, relied upon to dispense advice to the kid and give him a breather whenever he needs it.

Most veteran free agents would laugh in Andy MacPhail's face when presented with this scenario. For instance, I can't see Ivan Rodriguez (another rumored pickup) agreeing to this. But Gregg Zaun has made a career out of being there in a pinch. He's topped 110 games in only one season, and 38-year-old catchers with .251 career averages can't be too choosy. When contacted by the local media, Zaun's said the right things: Wieters is a great kid, I love the Orioles organization, etc. He probably mentioned something about Rick Dempsey being his uncle, which is the sort of trivia that has been beaten into the heads of Bird fans for the last decade-plus.

I wouldn't mind having Gregg Zaun behind the plate next year. We've plumbed the depths of Paul Bako and Geronimo Gil and the rest, and Gregg's certainly better than them. Besides, as a fellow Camden Chatter discovered, he's got one totally radical website.

Bring your Z-game, indeed.