Ty Wigginton, 2010 Upper Deck #79

Man, it's hard for me to be in a bad mood when I look at photos of Ty Wigginton in a baseball uniform. A quick search of my archives shows that I have compared Wiggy to a fire hydrant in two previous blog entries, so I may as well adhere to the rule of comedy threes. And I just did; that was easy!

Ty Wigginton, 2009 Topps Heritage #649

Just like that, another player becomes an ex-Oriole. Today Ty Wigginton signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Rockies. He essentially replaces Melvin Mora as Colorado's utility infielder. Yesterday Mora signed with the Diamondbacks right after they traded Mark Reynolds to the Orioles. Circle of life. So long, Wiggy. We'll always remember your unusual April-May 2010 power surge, the sublime humor of your 13 innings at shortstop in 2009, and that time you flipped out on the first base umpire in that game against the Twins.

I probably shouldn't pay such close attention to the Hot Stove rumors. I spent a good deal of time today pre-emptively flipping out over reports that the Orioles were likely trading Nolan Reimold to the Rays for shortstop Jason Bartlett, but the deal fell through by dinner time. With any luck, it's dead in the water. Bartlett would be an upgrade over the offensively impotent Cesar Izturis, but it would be a crime to sell so low on Reimold. It was just two years ago that he was one of the best-hitting rookies in the league, and I'd expect him to be healthier, more focused, and back in form in 2011. We'll see what news tomorrow holds.

Ty Wigginton, 2009 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee #443

Last night I suggested, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that Albert Belle was some sort of terrible, hulking creature fueled by his own fury and the fear of mortals. If you watched tonight's Orioles game, you know that the real enforcer is Mister Ty Wigginton. In the top of the sixth inning, with neither team having yet scored, young pitcher Brian Matusz gave up a gapper to right-center field. As Nick Markakis came up with the ball, the hitter (Andres Blanco) tried to stretch it into a triple. Markakis hit his cutoff man, Brian Roberts, who fired a strike to Wigginton at third. It was a bang-bang play, but the hydrant-shaped infielder expertly blocked Blanco's headfirst slide with a well-placed knee. He plucked Roberts' high throw out of the air and slapped the tag down in time for the crucial out. Blanco's momentum caused his head to collide with Wiggy's elbow, adding injury to insult. He popped up from the bag and began jawing at Ty while his third-base coach tried to guide him toward the dugout. Wigginton went chest-to-chest with the Ranger second baseman, shouting back at him and pointing toward the visitor dugout, telling him that he was out and should grab some bench. The bullpens slowly emptied, but the altercation was diffused before it became a fracas. Blanco is a lucky man; if they had come to blows, he might have had to crawl back to the clubhouse afterward.

Oh, and Wiggy went 1-for-4, Matusz pitched eight innings of five-hit, six-strikeout ball, and Corey Patterson, Brian Roberts, and Nick Markakis drove in runs in a four-run seventh inning. Orioles 4, Rangers 0.

Ty Wigginton, 2010 Topps #111

You can't stop Ty Wigginton. You can only hope to contain him. This fire hydrant-shaped man is currently the Orioles' leading hitter with four home runs and 10 RBI, all of which have come in the past week. Today he sparked the Birds' second win of the season with a two-run double and a two-run homer. I find him to be one of the most entertaining and fascinating guys on the team, and not just because he has a ridiculous name and he's roly-poly. (Though it's worth noting that in the April issue of the "Orioles Magazine" game program, he lists "beef jerky" as one of his three essentials should he ever be stranded on an island.)

Wiggy also delivered his own son, Cannon, in the bedroom closet of his North Carolina home in December of 2006 when his wife Angela went into labor unexpectedly. A 911 operator walked him through it, and there were no complications. Ty even tied off the umbilical cord with a shoelace. He's like MacGyver, except that he can play every position on the baseball field to boot.

Ty Wigginton, 2009 Upper Deck #540

If you see this spaceholder, I didn't make it home in time to post tonight. I'll make it up to you tomorrow!