Arthur Rhodes, 1991 Leaf Gold Rookies #BC6

That's right, 1991. Oh, to be athletic and left-handed. Arthur Rhodes was a member of the 1993 Orioles team on which I cut my baseball-fan teeth, and has outlasted all of his teammates from that squad, save for 46-year-old Jamie Moyer, who also happens to be...a southpaw pitcher. Rhodes is still plugging as a 39-year-old reliever with the Reds, and has pitched six scoreless innings so far in 2009. One of his current teammates, outfielder Jay Bruce, was one year old when the O's drafted Arthur in 1988.

But my favorite tidbit about Rhodes' longevity is that he's the last remaining active player who played a home game in Memorial Stadium. He pitched three games on 33rd Street with little success (6.14 ERA), but he pitched there all the same. Whenever he retires, another piece of Baltimore's baseball history will be relegated to the dusty past. Thankfully, that day might not come for a long time, especially if he picked up any pointers from ageless lefty teammates like Moyer, Randy Johnson (still going at 45!), and Jesse Orosco (who retired at 46).

John Maine and Val Majewski, 2005 Topps #327

As I mentioned last night, last year's Orioles Minor League Pitcher of the Year made his major league debut tonight against the White Sox. He gave up three runs (one earned) in five and two-thirds innings, striking out four, and left with a one-run lead. It was a promising beginning, and a more auspicious first try than that of John Maine. I considered a last-minute effort to attend tonight's game, but the overcast skies scared me away. If only I'd stayed away from Maine's debut.

It was July 23, 2004, and my college roommate Mikey and his girlfriend Julianne had gotten four tickets to the O's-Twins game from her father's work. I honestly don't remember much about the game. It was one of those goofy floppy hat giveaway nights, and it doesn't get much goofier than orange, black, and white camouflage with an adjustable neck string. As you can see, I turned it into a rally hat.


Not that the rally-ization of the eyesore headwear did any good. 23-year-old John Maine set the Twins down in order in the first inning, but came undone in the second. The first four runners reached in a three-run frame for Minnesota, highlighted by a two-run single from Corey Koskie. The rookie pitched out of a bit of trouble in the third but allowed four hits (including a Jacque Jones leadoff home run) in the fourth before giving way to John Parrish. His final line: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 WP. As he left the mound trailing by a 4-1 score, I probably yelled some none-too-charitable things at him. Probably something about not letting the door hit him in the butt on the way back to AAA Ottowa. It was a steamy summer night, the team was already eight games under .500, and I was young (okay, 22) and immature.

The O's couldn't dig themselves out of the hole that their brand-new starter had dug, managing just a two-run spurt in the seventh before a ninth-inning, two-run homer off of Buddy Groom gave Corey Koskie a four-RBI night. As the night wore on, Mikey and I amused ourselves by cheering for the Twins' batboy, who frequently sprinted to and from the visitor's dugout on our side of the field. Your final: Twins 7, Orioles 3. John Maine did indeed return to Ottowa, his spot start a flop. He wouldn't get a chance to improve upon his 0-1 record and 9.82 major league ERA until 2005, when he was marginally better (2-3, 6.30 in 10 games) but still nothing to write home about. Then it was off to the Mets with Jorge Julio in exchange for Kris Benson. He's gone 31-23 in three seasons since, with better-than-league-average ERAs in each campaign. His peripherals have been declining in each of those three years, but he's still carved out a better career than his shaky initial trip to the mound would have indicated.

Juan Bell, 1989 Classic Travel Purple #170

Juan Bell represents a dark moment in Orioles history, as he was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Eddie Murray to Los Angeles after twelve memorable seasons in Baltimore. The first of many pretenders to Cal Ripken's throne, George Bell's little brother hit .167 in 113 games as an Oriole and was an ex-Bird by 1992. I'm talking about him tonight to remind myself (and any other O's fans out there) that things have been worse than they are now, in the wreckage of a brutal week of baseball:

-Since they claimed first place with two straight wins in Texas to improve to 6-2, the team has lost five straight.

-In five of their seven losses, the O's have given up ten or more runs.

-The offense has started to sputter, scoring a single run in each of the past two games.

-On Friday night, the team's best starting pitcher (Jeremy Guthrie) was handed a seven-run lead in the second inning. He'd given it back by the fifth inning, and the Birds lost 10-8.

-In the last week, the following players have suffered injuries: Melvin Mora and Adam Jones (hamstring strains), Alfredo Simon ("degenerative" elbow), and Ryan Freel (probable concussion). The mythical Matt Wieters also strained his hamstring in a game for AAA Norfolk this weekend. Though the Powers That Be are doing some serious damage control, he should still miss a handful of games.

-Adam Eaton (11.25 ERA) is still with the club. Though his days are likely numbered, there's no telling how long Felix Pie (.147/.216/.235) will take to convince the Orioles that he's not a major leaguer.

I'm trying to look on the bright side. Nothing is expected of the Birds in 2009. We're only 13 games into a 162-game season. Brad Bergesen (15-6, 3.22 at AA Bowie in 2008) makes his major league debut tomorrow against the White Sox, a sort of soft launch of the youth movement. Matt Wieters could literally be promoted at any time. The New Yankee Stadium, for all its opulence and phony grace notes, is no Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Nationals are still the true laughingstock of Major League Baseball.

When the waiting gets to be too much, there's always schadenfreude.

John Mitchell, 1991 Topps #708

Only the most die-hard O's fans might remember John Mitchell, who pitched 24 games for the team in 1990 (6-6, 4.64 ERA). I've posted this card because he was born in 1965, the same year that Michael Francis "Mick" Foley came into this world. Whereas Mitchell's major league career ended after that 1990 season (and his pro career ended eight years later), Foley is still a somewhat active athlete, in a much different arena. Today, I'm taking a bus trip from Baltimore to Philadelphia to see the three-time WWF World Champion (and New York Times best-selling author) compete in a steel cage match at TNA's Lockdown pay-per-view event.

While most rational adults roll their eyes at professional wrestling, you'd be surprised at the physical toll that it takes on a person's body. Sure, the match outcomes are pre-determined and many of the moves are designed to look more painful than they actually are, but it's the cumulative effect of the matches that breaks down a performer's body. The canvas mat is not exactly a mattress, and falling on it fifteen times a night, for five or six nights a week, 52 weeks a year, adds up. Aside from that, accidents happen. These guys are much more than "phony actors", or any of the other derogatory phrases that are hurled their way.

It's amazing to me to think about the physical conditioning that it must take for a 43-year-old like Mick Foley to do his thing at a high level, and his opponent, Steve "Sting" Borden, is even older (having just turned fifty last month). I'm very excited, because Foley is one of my personal favorites and I've never seen him wrestle live. I'm appreciative of the opportunity, even while I fight the nagging doubts in the back of my head that somebody his age with four children at home should be risking his health. That's the daily dilemma of a wrestling fan.

Miguel Tejada, 2008 Upper Deck Game-Used Jersey #99-TE

Please accept this Miguel Tejada game-used jersey swatch as a mea culpa for the rare missed day on this blog. I was foolish enough to think that attending a friend's wedding with a 4:30 PM start time in Lancaster, PA would give me time to make it home and post before midnight. Instead, we closed down the reception at 10:00 and reconvened at a nearby hotel where several friends were staying overnight. My friend/designated driver Mikey and I finally took our leave at midnight, but it was well worth it for the rare opportunity to reconnect with old college friends. Consider this as "Saturday's" post, and rest assured that the regular Sunday entry will run later today.

Because I'm a bit strange about these things, I'm more interested in the background of the card than the plain black jersey square that is meant to be the focal point. A quick eBay search shows me that the background photo seems to be the same for all game-used jerseys in this set, which is par for the course. But a closer look allows me to identify the stadium in question as Cleveland's Jacobs Field...seriously, you can call it "Progressive Field" if you want, but that sort of makes my stomach turn. I can also see a player's image and name on the video board in left field. It's former outfielder Vince Coleman, and he's identified as being a Kansas City Royal. "Vincent Van Go" played with K.C. for just a season-plus, from 1994 through August of 1995. This means that Upper Deck used a photo from their archives that was nearly fifteen years old. Pretty curious, don't you think?

Vintage Fridays: George Zuverink, 1959 Topps #219

I'm running late to meet an old friend and kick-start a busy weekend, so I'll leave the floor open to discussion. Boy, don't those new "Baltimore" road jerseys look sharp? So far, we're 2-1 in them and leading Pink Hat Nation 8-5 in the fifth inning tonight. Fingers crossed, folks...

Brady Anderson, 1993 Classic Dark Blue #T4

The photo on this Brady Anderson card is "full of fail", as the kids say. Take a look at the position of Brady's bat in relation to the ball. I've seen plenty of cards that depict players in less-than-ideal moments: a batter looking straight up in the air, to follow the flight of a pop-up, or a pitcher grimacing at a hanger that got away. But I'm not sure that I've ever seen a shot that blatantly shows the batter flailing at a pitch that's headed for the dirt.

I wonder how we'd feel if someone were selling trading cards with pictures of us screwing up. Here's Paul rear-ending a Honda Civic! I'll trade it for that shot of Amy spilling coffee on her keyboard! Has Brady Anderson ever seen this card? I wonder how he'd feel if someone asked him to sign it. I think he'd actually roll with it. I mean, the guy once got run over by a bus while rollerblading to the ballpark and played that night. We all swing at bad pitches now and then, and what does it matter in the grand scheme of things?

George Sherrill, 2009 Topps Retro #18

April is the absolute worst time of the year in my office. The phones are ringing, my inbox is popping on a regular basis, and the fax machines don't ever stop churning out paperwork for me to process. It's always freezing cold in that place, but for a few weeks I find myself flushed and sweating as I jump from one task to another. Yesterday I sat at my desk, sarcastically grousing about this and that, my boss just laughed and said that it sounded like I needed a vacation. It's easy for her to say; she's heading to New Orleans next week. No such luck for me; the carrot on the string is a weekend filled with a friend's wedding and a bus trip to a wrestling pay-per-view (more on that later).

As if this week weren't miserable enough, the weather has been awful in the mid-Atlantic. Temperatures have dropped into the 40s, and it's been raining steadily for the last two days. I certainly didn't expect to be bundling up in my ragged winter coat, scarf, and earmuffs after Easter. At 6:30 last night, I got off of the train and walked into a spitting rain that was so light, it was almost pleasant. At least that's what I tried to tell myself, since I'd left my umbrella in the office. I spent the short walk to my car imagining that it was July, and that I was back in Ocean City, feeling the salty spray of the Atlantic Ocean on my face.

Last summer, my family had barely unpacked three carloads of cargo at the two-story apartment we were renting on the Boardwalk when I compulsively flicked on the Orioles-Nationals game. In the 12th inning, the O's were on the verge of breaking their bizarre Sunday losing streak. George Sherrill, brought in to protect a 2-1 lead, got two quick outs before walking Dmitri Young. No worries, as he got two strikes on Ronnie Belliard in the blink of an eye. After an incredibly borderline pitch was called a ball, disaster struck. The next offering from the flat-billed Baltimore lefty was absolutely blasted over the left field fence. Game over. In another week and a half, the Birds would slip under .500 and keep sliding for the rest of the summer. Back in the moment, I was irate, and desperately casting about for a place to direct my anger. The umpire blew it by not ringing up Belliard on the previous pitch. Sherrill blew it by tossing such a meatball pitch on a 1-2 count. Belliard was a dirty, showboating so-and-so for posing at home plate to watch the flight of the ball before breaking into his trot. My vacation was off to a tainted beginning.

Fortunately, even I don't take baseball seriously enough to let it ruin an entire week at the beach. I spent the rest of my time there watching very little of the Birds (my sister got text-message updates every time the score changed anyhow) and getting plenty of sun, rest and relaxation, and refreshment. But George Sherrill plugged along, and has retained his closer's role into 2009 in spite of himself. Watching his half-cocked tightrope act over the past two nights, I alternated between hissed curses and frantic pleas to get just one more out, for the love of all that is holy. In the end, he (and his harried outfielders) did just enough to pull out a couple more surprising early-season wins. I have to admit that tonight I would kill to watch him work his terrifying magic, if only because it would mean that the O's weren't losing 15-4...ugh.

Is it July yet?

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.

Dave Johnson, 1990 Score Rising Stars #43

I may not be a talk radio star/baseball analyst like former O's pitcher Dave Johnson, but I think I did alright for my first try at it. Last Thursday, I was Dave Gilmore's guest on the brand-new Baltimore Sports Report podcast. Our 49-minute discussion was posted today, and if you're so inclined, you can give it a listen here. Just to give you an idea of how dangerous it is to give me a platform to talk baseball, Dave had originally given me an estimated duration of 20 minutes for the podcast! We covered a lot of ground and worked in a lot of plugs for my NumerOlogy website as well as this humble little blog, and topics included Opening Day, retired numbers, the Orioles Hall of Fame, "cursed" uniform numbers, and my wild guesses for the numbers that'll be worn by the next generation of Orioles. I tend to be critical of my own performance when listening to recordings of myself, but I didn't really cringe on the playback until I started talking about Baltimore's long baseball history near the end of the podcast; I must have said "you know" about a half-dozen times in 30 seconds. But hey, I was probably mentally fatigued by that point. Enjoy, and feel free to offer feedback!

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.

Sam Horn, 1992 Leaf #219

Because the BaltimoreSun.com sports section has major kinks in their RSS feed, it took me a little while to discover their latest blog, "The Toy Department". It's a collaborative effort among a half-dozen or so Sun writers, some of whom have made previous attempts at blogging only to completely fade away in short order. Hopefully the group format will take some pressure off of them. Anyway, they've got several running features, and one I've taken an early interest in is "Catching Up With...". As you might have guessed, Mike Klingaman tracks down sports figures from Baltimore's past and gives a status update. Last week, he caught up with Sam Horn.

ESPN's Chris Berman (NOT one of my favorite people) used to say that all Cris Carter did was catch touchdowns. Well, for two seasons in Baltimore, all that Sam Horn did was hit home runs. In 1990, Horn went deep 14 times in 246 at-bats, a rate of one per 17.6 at-bats. Half of his hoemrs that year either tied the game or gave the O's the lead. The following year he set a career high with 23 longballs in just 317 at-bats, a ratio of one per 13.8 tries. Even with an abbreviated and disappointing 1992, his OPS+ as an Oriole was a strong 122. So, where is he now?

The 45-year-old Sam Horn is a goodwill ambassador for the Red Sox (ugh), his first team in the majors. He also has somewhat of a cult following; he is the namesake for the Sons of Sam Horn (SOSH) message board, a meeting place for the most rabid of Boston fans. He used to broadcast games for the "Sawx" and at one time owned a sports complex in East Greenwich, R.I. Today, the father of three golfs and plays in charity baseball games.

The thing that really tickled me about the blog post was a quote from Sam that he "weigh(s) 285 and...still love(s) sweets". What caused him to share that information? It's especially funny if you imagine Klingaman asking him, "So, Sam, you were a pretty big guy, even back in your playing days. Are you fat as hell now? I bet you are. I can even hear you eating a Snickers on the other end of the phone. C'mon, pal. Fess up." But I digress. It's good to know that he's doing well.

Vintage Fridays: Boog Powell, 1969 Topps Deckle Edge #2

This is just one of several excellent vintage oddballs that I just received from Bob, who comments around these parts as "Commish". It's a Topps Deckle Edge, and the product name is self-explanatory. I scanned the card against a black CD jewel case so you could see the postage stamp-like edges. The black-and-white photo is a nice touch, as is the blue facsimile signature. It looks really authentic! The cards are smaller than a standard baseball card, measuring 2 and 1/4" X 3 and 1/4". They were inserted randomly in wax packs of 1969 Topps, and the full set consisted of 33 cards. The back is blank except for the card number and player name at the bottom.

This is an intriguing photo choice for Boog Powell. You'll notice that he looks especially young and trim, and there are uniform cues that suggest that the photo was taken much earlier than 1968. Boog would have worn the older-fashioned perched bird two-tone cap in 1961-1962, his first two years with the club. The smiling cartoon bird sleeve patch and zipper-front script "Baltimore" road jersey would have been consistent with those years as well. Of course, he also is wearing #16, which he wore in 1962 and surrendered to newly acquired veteran Al Smith the following year. At that point, Powell took up #26 and the rest is history.

I also took notice of the bunting on the wall behind him. Topps traditionally did a lot of their photography at Yankee Stadium back in the day, and in 1962 Boog and the Birds did indeed open their season in the Bronx. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts while batting third and playing left field; the O's lost 7-6 when Hal Brown gave up three straight hits (including a Mickey Mantle leadoff home run) to blow an eighth-inning lead.

Luckily, there would be better times against the Yankees. His 41 career home runs against the pinstripers were his highest total vs. any opponent, and he hit 22 of them at Yankee Stadium, making him one of the most prolific lefty visitors in the history of that ballpark.

Thanks, Bob! This card took me on a pretty interesting trip.

Steve Bechler, 2002 Donruss Originals #235

Terrible, depressing news today, as Angels rookie pitcher (and Silver Spring, MD native and Williamsport HS grad) Nick Adenhart was one of three people killed by a drunk driver, just hours after pitching six shutout innings in his fourth career game. He was 22, having been born in 1986.

The set design that was borrowed for today's card was, of course, 1986 Donruss. Steve Bechler is another young pitcher who died a sudden and needless death; his life was cut short when he suffered a fatal heat stroke during a Spring Training workout for the Orioles in 2003. A major factor in his death was a weight loss supplement containing ephedra, which has since been banned in the United States. He was 23 at the time of his death, and left behind a wife and an unborn child (daughter Hailie is now four years old).

Life is a fragile, unfair, concept. Death can be senseless, especially in the young. A close friend of mine was killed in a car accident on I-70 just weeks before she was to start college. It's been nearly a decade, and I still think about her each day. I still can't imagine the pain that Nick's parents, or Steve's parents or his widow, feel. It's important that we remember what matters. It's not that a baseball player died. It's that a young man - actually, two young men and a young woman - are gone because of a tragic incident that could have been avoided if another young man would have had the good sense to keep his car keys in his pocket.

I hope you take a moment today to remember and acknowledge the people in your life who really matter to you, and to give thanks that you still have them.

Tom Underwood, 1985 Topps #289

A gem of a fact tonight, courtesy of MASN's Jim "Not Catfish" Hunter: Koji Uehara is the second player in Orioles history to have a last name beginning with the letter U. The first was Tom Underwood, who teamed up with his mustache to win exactly one game with the Birds. Tonight, Koji tied him by allowing one run in five innings. Your glorious final: Orioles 7, Yankees 5.

It wasn't easy for the Japanese veteran, who threw 86 pitches and scattered five hits and a walk, but he frustrated the Yankee hitters when he had to, getting several pop-ups and lazy fly balls. Though there were only 22,856 fans at the stadium, the local fans still managed to shout down the visiting invaders, particularly when Mark Teixeira was at bat. He even got booed for cutting off a throw to home plate, which may have been a first in baseball. At one point in the game, play-by-play man Gary Thorne mentioned that 20 million Japanese people were expected to watch Uehara's major league debut, which really hit home. Millions of people from another country, people who wouldn't have known the Orioles from the Royals a few months ago, tuned in and watched them batter a very talented pitcher on a very powerful and internationally renowned team. It happened for the second day in a row. The Orioles announced themselves to Japan in grand fashion. Good stuff.

Jim Traber, 1987 Fleer #482

Why do I watch just any old baseball game, as long as it's televised? It's a question that my family often asks. But you never know what you'll see or hear. Take for instance tonight's Cubs at Astros game on WGN, which has carried on into the tenth inning as I type. A few innings ago, the announcers were discussing the Astros' demonstrative closer, Jose Valverde. Former Arizona manager (and current WGN color man) Bob Brenly shared an amusing anecdote involving Jim Traber, who has called some games out in the Copper State. When Valverde was throwing smoke for the Diamondbacks, Traber got caught up in the excitement and coined a new nickname for the pitcher: Papa Grande. In his mind, he undoubtedly thought that if David Ortiz was Big Papi, Jose was the new big thing. Grande does sound cooler than Big, to be fair. But if you know your Spanish, you've already figured out that Papa Grande actually means "Big Potato". As far as nicknames go, that's pretty hilarious, and "Papa Grande" stuck with Valverde. I wonder how much pride Jim Traber takes in coining the moniker.

Jeremy Guthrie, 2008 Upper Deck Goudey #20

For one day, everything was as it should be.

An Opening-Day record 48,607 fans packed Oriole Park at Camden Yards and kept it rocking all day long.

The rain stopped just in time to play ball.

Mark Teixeira was booed loudly and lustily every time his name was announced. He was booed in between every pitch of every one of his at-bats. He went 0-for-4 in his first game after signing a multi-year, multi-million-dollar deal with the Yankees and holding a smarmy press conference in which he credited his wife with telling him to go to New York and claimed that he'd been a Yankee fan all of his life (something he never seemed to mention in multiple interviews proclaiming his interest in playing in his hometown of Baltimore...well, he was from Severna Park, but you know what I mean). He was cheered excitedly every time he failed to get a hit.

CC Sabathia, the other prize pig of the Yankee offseason spending orgy, was knocked out of the box in the fifth inning, having allowed eight hits and five walks...and having struck out none.

Jeremy Guthrie, the O's hard luck ace, finally got some run support, picking up a win after tossing six hard-fought innings.

Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis, the homegrown cornerstones, celebrated their offseason contract extensions with a combined 5-for-8, 1 BB, 4 R, 2 RBI performance.

Adam Jones, the young center fielder who is being touted as a breakout candidate, reached base all five times, including two walks (a big development for someone who walked 23 times all of last year).

Jim Johnson, the surprise shutdown reliever of 2008, preserved the lead by stranding the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the eighth inning.

Cesar Izturis, the free agent who was brought in to stabilize the shortstop position, made two excellent plays in the field and helped the Birds put the game away with a surprise home run in the bottom of the eighth.

For once, the revitalized Baltimore fans were able to shout down the overbearing and entitled Yankee fans (most of whom were probably from New Jersey anyway).

As those fans filed out of the ballpark a little after 8:00 PM, there were overjoyed shouts of "First place!".

And I was there to be a part of it all.

(Sorry for the Bill Plaschke treatment, but I'm still processing a fantastic game. Orioles 10, Yankees 5. Awesome.)

Jake Arrieta, 2008 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects Gold #BDPP92

This card serves as a reminder that help is on the way, and soon. Chris Tillman (#22), Brian Matusz (#25), and Jake Arrieta (#67) are all ranked in Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list for 2009, and all three pitchers could be in Baltimore's major league plans in 2010. There's no sense in rushing such young talent. I try to remind myself of that every time I fret about the current state of the O's pitching staff, as was the case last night. I was sitting in Nationals Park watching five of the first six batters reach against Alfredo Simon, who is starting 2009 as our third starting pitcher. The Orioles were in a 4-0 hole thanks to a Josh Willingham grand slam, and I found myself explaining to a stranger behind me that the righthander was plucked from the Mexican leagues.

In all fairness, last night's game could have been much uglier. Simon buckled down after being taken deep, pitching another four and one-third innings before giving way to Jamie Walker. Although it was chilly, I had a good time. Some observations:

-There were several large, odd-shaped things wrapped in butcher paper inside the main gates. I assume they were statues and that they'll be unveiled for the home opener, but it still looked pretty sloppy.

-I let out a loud "O!" during the National Anthem, and heard a similar shout ripple through the stadium; for the non-local readers, it's a Baltimore tradition to punctuate the line, "O, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave..." with a war cry for the Orioles. It's even done at Ravens games and other various events. Some Phillistine Nats fan behind me muttered, "Pathetic". I assume he was talking about the home team.

-Speaking of which, I didn't truly appreciate how bereft of star power the Nationals are until I saw a guy wearing a Jason Bergmann jersey. But hey, who am I to judge a guy who spends over $100 on the jersey of a pitcher with a 10-19 record who didn't make this year's Opening Day roster?

-One of the beer vendors noticed my gray "Baltimore" road jersey and asked if the team were wearing them. I pointed out that they were wearing the black road BP jerseys, but that they still had "Baltimore" across the chests. He explained that he was working at Nats Park for the money, but that he "bleeds black and orange". You better believe he got a tip for that.

-As far as beer goes, $7.50 for a 16-oz. bottle. Obscene. And Bud Light in the aluminum bottle on a chilly night? Not the best idea I ever had.

-I wonder if Luke Scott will get a haircut this week. He was rocking an impressive mullet last night.

-The Oriole bats are looking as strong as advertised. They had 16 hits, although they weren't strong in the clutch (11 left on base). Aubrey Huff's three-run homer was the only big blow in a 5-4 loss, and Nick Markakis was 3-for-3.

-Chris Ray was also sharp, pitching a scoreless two-thirds of an inning and keeping his cool as the Nationals kept fouling off pitch after pitch. Coming off of Tommy John elbow surgery, he did not allow a single earned run this spring.

-I may look upon the Nationals with a lot of scorn, but the racing Presidents are ridiculously entertaining.

-Gregg ZAUN's scoreboard mugshot is hilarious. Look for it if you're going to a game this year.

Enough talk of exhibition games. Tomorrow we PLAY BALL! It'll be my first Opening Day at the Yard, so keep your fingers crossed that the rain (and CC Sabathia's best stuff) stays away!

Alex Cintron, 2009 Topps Heritage #253

Believe it or not, the final game of the preseason takes place between the Orioles and the Nationals in Washington, D.C. This year's Spring Training was even more interminable than usual, thanks to the extra week or so that was tacked on to compensate for the World Baseball Classic. The O's had a 34-game exhibition slate, which doesn't include unofficial games against the Italian and Dominican WBC clubs. Then there were the intrasquad matchups that filled almost every open date on the schedule. I wouldn't be surprised if the players spend all day tomorrow in bed before Opening Day rolls around on Monday.

Alex Cintron is just one of several underwhelming ex-O's who landed in Nationals camp in 2009. Joining him were free-swinging outfielder Corey Patterson, wall-eyed failed shortstop Freddie Bynum, and of course the erratic Daniel Cabrera. Cabrera was the only member of that ex-pat quartet to go north with Washington, and he didn't exactly have a smooth go of it in the Grapefruit League. He posted a 6.39 ERA, which includes a loss to his former team last night (5 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 1 WP, 1 HBP). Daniel also managed to hurt his neck a week ago while practicing bunting, which comes as no surprise to anyone who ever watched him "hit" in interleague games.

The Nationals current pitching staff might look a little less crummy than that of their beltway neighbors, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to root for them. At least the O's have a plan and a reason to hope.

Vintage Fridays: Don Baylor, 1974 Topps #187

Things I like about this card:

-Don Baylor's bright blue batting glove. Did he ever wear it in a game? Where did he even get it?

-The wear and tear on the card's surface. This card could tell some tales, but it has just enough scratches and creases to give it character. Any more damage and it would almost lose something.
-The real original Yankee Stadium in the background. Most old Topps photos taken in Yankee Stadium were shot either on the left field or right field side, and you could see that white gatework facade that remained after the mid-1970s renovation. But here you can see the big classic scoreboard looming in center field.

-The barely-visible metal snaps on the front of Don's waistband. The best thing to happen to baseball in the 1990s was the return of belted pants.

-This isn't really related to the card per se, but it's been reported that Don Baylor cried when he learned that the Orioles had traded him to Oakland in the Reggie Jackson deal. In a day and age when players are largely seen as mercenaries, it's heartening to remember someone who was so appreciative of his teammates, coaches, and fans in Baltimore that he wept upon learning that he'd a) been traded for one of the biggest stars in the game and b) was headed to a team that had just won 98 games.

Hayden Penn, 2005 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects #BDP27

Okay, I'm finished talking about Hayden Penn's bad luck. The dude had an engraved invitation to the Orioles starting rotation this year, which had looked like this in February:

1. Jeremy Guthrie
2. Koji Uehara (A 33-year-old Japanese pitcher who has battled injuries in recent years and worked mostly out of the bullpen)
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?

Hayden is of course out of options, so even if he had been just so-so in the Grapefruit League, chances were good that he would have at least snuck onto the Opening Day roster as a long reliever. Instead, the young righty put up this stat line:

0-3, 17 IP, 27 H, 6 BB, 10.05 ERA. Urgh.

In case you're wondering, that's about what it takes to get beat out by the likes of Mark Hendrickson, Adam Eaton (who seems like the early favorite to be my Most Despised Oriole of 2009), and Alfredo Simon. With the writing on the wall, GM Andy MacPhail was at least able to trade Penn to the Marlins for similarly out-of-options shortstop Robert Andino. Robert is the one-time Marlins shortstop of the future who has obviously been surpassed by Hanley Ramirez; a Mendoza-like batting average will do that to you. But he is a strong defender, and the O's woke up on Wednesday and realized that Cesar Izturis wasn't going to play 162 games this year. So Andino has some value, I suppose.

Thanks for making our starting rotation that much more gruesome, Hayden. Better luck in Florida.

Sammy Sosa, 2005 Topps Cracker Jack #105

Since I didn't post early enough in the day to have an honest shot at making an April Fool of anyone, instead I give you Sammy Sosa. After all, he was baseball's cruel joke on the Baltimore Orioles and their fans. This card is something of a bad joke in itself. With Sammy being traded to the Birds in February, Topps put their finest Photoshoppers to work on an accurate facsimile of the Dominican slugger in his new uniform.

Then, Topps apparently found out that their finest Photoshoppers were on vacation that week, and passed the task along to some overmatched intern. That's the only explanation for this laughable picture. The bird logo on the helmet is too small. The "Fun Bird" sleeve patch was not worn after 2003 (sloppy research, guys). But the most glaring inconsistency is the rounded numerical font that has never been used by the O's, but just happened to be the Cubs' style.

I vacillate back and forth on the question of how to depict players who changed teams in the offseason. I always thought it was a cop-out to have a player pictured in his old team's uniform but identified as a member of the new team. But I'd certainly prefer that to a hack-job piece of faux art like this one.

Adam Loewen, 2004 Studio #26

I have to admit that I'm somewhat amused by the randomness that takes hold of this blog. Believe it or not, I often go to painstaking lengths to insert variety when it comes to choosing daily subjects. I try to feature new players, which becomes an increasing challenge fifteen months into the life of this ongoing project. Failing that, I at least try to post a card from a set I haven't featured. If I can kill two birds with one stone, all the better. In one of my more obsessive-compulsive bits of plotting, I even try to alternate between pitchers and position players every other day. For some reason, I usually seem to slant towards position players. But sometimes I want to jump on a snippet of news that I've heard about a player, or I just find myself staring down writers' block and have to grab the first interesting-looking card I see.

A quick check of my tags shows that the most frequently used card set is the 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles set, with 11 posts. That makes sense, as it's a great oddball set that features a whopping 500-plus cards of every player in Orioles history from 1954 through early 1991. The runners-up are 1983 Topps and 2007 Upper Deck, with five each.

Cal Ripken, Jr. is unsurprising as the top featured player, again with eleven appearances. The most surprising high-ranked player is Adam Loewen, who I am now featuring for the fifth time. Pretty heady stuff for an injury-prone failed #1 draft pick who is reinventing himself as a first baseman in the Toronto organization as we speak. But he had an eventful year, with his participation in the Orioles Magic video and his position switch. That's the way my mind works sometimes.

I wonder who will be a recurring character on this blog as 2009 keeps chugging along.

David Newhan, 2006 Upper Deck #529

Sad news for fans of 35-year-old utility players today, as the Astros released David Newhan. I haven't been able to confirm the rumor that he was stretching his hamstrings like a ballerina on the dugout rail when he got the news.

I liked David Newhan well enough when he played in Baltimore, which admittedly has a lot to do with the unreal blazing start he had in the summer of 2004. He arrived as a 30-year-old journeyman with 63 major league games to his credit, but played 95 in that first year with the O's. He earned his playing time by hitting over .400 for his initial five weeks with the team. Overall he hit .311 with 15 doubles, 7 tripes, and 8 home runs and 54 RBI. He played at all four corner infield and outfield positions and always seemed to be hustling, stealing 11 bases and only getting caught once. His father Ross was a well-known sportswriter, which added a bit of warm fuzziness to the story.

But David never recaptured that initial magic. He was frustrated by a lack of playing time early the next season (four starts in April), and spoke up. Regardless of his recent success, it might not have been smart to play the squeaky wheel when he was still largely a fringe player (one who was struggling to hit his weight in the here and now). Though Newhan got more playing time as the season went along, it coincided with a downturn in the team's fortunes and a rash of injuries, and it didn't do him much good either. His average plummeted to .202 and his status with the club seemed shaky. Though he did return for a third season, a reasonably strong start was derailed by a broken leg suffered while running the bases. David missed four months, and that all but brought his time in orange and black to an end.

Newhan spent 2007 and 2008 in the National League, where his versatility may have been better utilized. But he hasn't come close to matching his red-hot summer of 2004, and he had an awful Grapefruit League run with the Astros this March (.182 with no extra-base hits). Apparently, he wasn't happy that he first heard that he was out of the backup shortstop competition by reading an article on mlb.com. If that's true, I'd have to agree that manager Cecil Cooper could've handled things better. But David's 35 now, and his spring numbers were awful. Considering that he couldn't crack a team that's prepared to go forward with Geoff Blum as its starting third baseman, I wonder if he'll be calling it a career soon.

Alan Mills, 1993 Score Select #367

We're just a week away from Opening Day, which is also Opening Day for the fantasy baseball season. This means that I'll be getting back into the daily routine of checking and adjusting lineups, and forming fleeting attachments to players from other teams. I will live and die with their successes and failures, adding flavor to a Wednesday night Dodgers-Diamondbacks game that might otherwise serve as background noise. In other cases, I will hold my nose and strike up an uneasy alliance with a sworn enemy, as I've done in the past with the likes of Dustin Pedroia. This year's team has a healthy mix of players I genuinely like and a few guys from rival teams. Even the Yankees and Red Sox are guys that don't completely bug the hell out of me. Hopefully I can hold my own in what stacks up to be a fiercely competitive 12-team league full of Camden Chatters. So without further ado, I present The Alan Mills Project:

C Mike Napoli, Angels
1B Lance Berkman, Astros
2B Brian Roberts, Orioles
3B Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox
SS J. J. Hardy, Brewers
OF Grady Sizemore, Indians
OF Andre Ethier, Dodgers
OF Raul Ibanez, Phillies
UT James Loney, Dodgers

Bench: OF Delmon Young, Twins; 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, Padres; C Yadier Molina, Cardinals.

SP Dan Haren, Diamondbacks
SP Jon Lester, Red Sox
SP Daisuke Matsuzaka, Red Sox
SP Matt Garza, Rays
SP Ubaldo Jimenez, Rockies
SP Mark Buehrle, White Sox
RP Mariano Rivera, Yankees
RP Heath Bell, Padres
RP Joey Devine, Athletics

Brian Roberts, 2008 Topps Stadium Club #34

This is a hit-and-run entry today, as my to-do list is pretty substantial. We're hosting my sister's birthday party tonight, so I have to clean the rat's nest that is my living quarters. Of course, this task mostly involves baseball cards: I have several stacks of Orioles that I need to sort and store, and several more that just came in the mail and need to be cataloged and then sorted. This includes today's featured card, which arrived this afternoon from Greg of the night owl blog. This is instantly one of the best cards in my growing Brian Roberts collection, a great action shot of the diminutive second baseman applying Tito Santana's trademark flying forearm to an unidentified Rangers catcher. I'd like to imagine that he's shouting, "This is for 30-3, you dirty sonofa..."

Vintage Fridays: Dave McNally, 1972 Kellogg's #29

This is not just a card. It's a force of nature. I love the faux-3D blue and white star border, the blurred empty stadium in the background that's meant to make Dave McNally pop forth in vivid color, the facsimile signature running diagonally across his torso, and of course his incredibly wide-eyed stare off to the right. This is how Dave McNally might appear to you in a bizarre dream, or a really bad drug trip if you're living dangerously. To think that the lucky children of the early Seventies got to plop down at the breakfast table for a bowl of Corn Flakes with a side of mind-blowing images of baseball superstars bursting forth from the ether.

I just got this card in a fun package of assorted Orioles from frequent commenter Max, a.k.a. jacobmrley. It's the first 3-D style Kellogg's card in my collection (I had a few Sportflics-style Kellogg's from the early Nineties), and it immediately grabbed my attention. I can only imagine what the collectors thought of it when it was released. I love this card because it's just different. So many card releases of the past fifteen years run together for most of us, because we see the same things over and over again. Glossy finish, huh? Yawn. Foil stamping? Ho-hum. But a card like this, a product that's both vintage and vivid, refuses to be ignored or forgotten.

Mickey Tettleton, 1990 Donruss #5

At long last, here are the whereabouts of your 1989 "Why Not?" Baltimore Orioles:

STARTING LINEUP

C Mickey Tettleton is active on the celebrity golf circuit and is a devoted father to his four children. Tate, the oldest, is a star quarterback in high school.

1B Randy Milligan is a scout with the Orioles, according to Wikipedia.

2B Billy Ripken is a co-owner of the Orioles' short-season A affiliate, the Aberdeen IronBirds. He recently coached first base for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and has appeared as an analyst on the MLB Network. He's also Executive Vice President of Ripken Baseball, Inc.

SS Cal Ripken, Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. He is co-owner of the Aberdeen IronBirds and President and CEO of Ripken Baseball, Inc.

3B Craig Worthington owns and operates a hitting instruction academy for baseball and softball in Southern California and coaches the girls' softball team at St. Paul High School.

LF Phil Bradley is a special assistant for the Major League Baseball Players Association. His son Curt played in the Dodgers organization in 2007.

CF Mike Devereaux lent his name to an American Legion tournament in his hometown of Casper, Wyoming. After the breakup of the local American Legion, the Mike Devereaux Tournament allowed the town's teenagers to continue playing baseball in front of home crowds. The inaugural tournament took place last year.

RF Joe Orsulak still lives in the area, spent a few years coaching baseball at Loyola Blakefield High School, and works Cal Ripken's baseball camps on occasion.

DH Larry Sheets owns and operates a family amusement center in Westminster, MD.

THE STARTING ROTATION

Jeff Ballard is a senior vice president at Ballard Petroleum Holdings, the family business in his hometown of Billings, MT. He is also chairman of the American Legion baseball program in Billings.

Bob Milacki is the pitching coach for the Phillies' class A South Atlantic League affiliate, the Lakewood BlueClaws.

Dave Schmidt is the Orioles' minor league pitching coordinator. He has been an instructor in the Baltimore organization for twelve years now.

Pete Harnisch is living with his wife and two sons in Colts Neck, NJ, where he coaches youth baseball, soccer, and basketball.

Dave Johnson is a baseball analyst for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. His son Steven pitches in the Dodgers organization.

THE BULLPEN

Unfortunately, the most recent news I found of Brian Holton was a story about his 2006 arrest in Manchester, NH on charges of skipping out on $43,000 of owed child support.

Mark Thurmond is the vice president of the Al Thurmond Insurance Agency.

Kevin Hickey is a coach at the annual White Sox Fantasy Camp. He was a batting practice pitcher for the 2005 World Champion Pale Hose.

Mark Williamson...is a mystery to me.

Gregg Olson lives in Newport Beach, CA with his wife and four children.

Sometime soon, I'll kill another day with updates on the bench players and lesser-used pitchers.

Harold Baines, 1995 Donruss #538

Since I've already postponed the 1989 Orioles retrospective one day and declared myself to be a master of suspense, what's one more day? Don't blame me, the Orioles news just keeps on coming this week. Yesterday, the team announced that Harold Baines has been selected to join the Orioles Hall of Fame. It's about time that the organization that he spent the majority of the latter half of his career with afforded him some honor; the White Sox got the jump on it by retiring his jersey number and erecting a statue in his likeness.

I've always had a certain soft spot for old #3, the quintessential designated hitter. He got two hits and two RBI in the first game I ever attended at Camden Yards, and he didn't slow down for almost a decade after that. He came home to Maryland as a 34-year-old with the knees of a much older man, but he made a surprisingly bold mark in the team's record books. In three stints spanning all or parts of seven seasons in orange and black, he batted .301 (fifth in club history), slugged .502 (fourth), hit 107 home runs (17th), and drove in 378 runs (24th). He did it all without a complaint or a cry for attention. Harold was the first player to ever log 1,000 games as a DH and another 1,000 games at another position (outfield). I'm just pessimistic enough to sense that he might never get the call to Cooperstown, but he has earned his rightful place in one Hall of Fame for sure.

George Kell, 1957 Spire #246

I know I promised you a "Where Are They Now?" of the 1989 Orioles, but the real world has intervened. Former Orioles infielder and Baseball Hall of Famer George Kell died in his sleep this morning at age 86. Though he spent just two years at the end of his career in a Baltimore uniform, George made an impact on the franchise both on and off the field. As a 34-year-old in his final season (1957), he hit .297 and represented the Birds in the All-Star Game. But more importantly, he unselfishly served as a mentor to a young Brooks Robinson, helping ease his path from the sandlots of Arkansas to Cooperstown. As a tribute to Kell, I'd like to his own words and the words of his teammates do the talking. All quotes are from John Eisenberg's From 33rd Street to Camden Yards.

GEORGE KELL: "Paul (Richards) told me when he went to Baltimore, 'I'm going to trade for you and make you the manager, and I'm going to move into the front office as the GM.' When he traded for me, I assumed that was the way it would be. At the time I was really interested in managing. Then in '57, about midseason, he told me the owners had told him they wanted him to manage, that they'd hired him for that and no change would be made. I said that was OK. I was ready to retire anyway."

BILL WIGHT: "Kell helped us. He was a good fielder. That was when they were just bringing out batting helmets. They were optional at first. You had a choice of whether to wear them. Kell never used one, and he'd dive into the ball-a great fastball hitter; he could pull anyone foul. Then one day he said, 'You know, I think I'll wear a helmet tomorrow.' The next day he got hit in the head. Popped right in the head. That started other guys using the helmets."

GEORGE KELL: "That was the only place in my career where I walked to the park. I don't remember anyone stopping me. They probably didn't know who I was. But I enjoyed Baltimore. The fans were great."

GEORGE KELL: "Brooks and I were raised ninety miles apart, same background, same family life, same church, same values...He came up later in '56 and opened with us in '57. He played third and I played first against left-handers. Against righties I'd play third. We spent a lot of time together. I think I helped show him how a major leaguer was supposed to live. That might have helped his adjustments."

BILL WIGHT: "In the spring of '57 Richards told Kell, 'I'd like you to talk to Brooks about when he backhands the ball, he brings the glove over his eyes and loses sight of the ball.' Kell said, 'I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to embarrass myself. We've been here a month and the guy hasn't missed a ball yet.' That was the end of that conversation."

Vaya con dios, George.

Curt Schilling, 1990 Bowman #246

You may have heard that Red Sox pitcher (and ex-Oriole, of course) Curt Schilling announced his retirement today. While his most recent status as a member of that hated gang of Bostoners and his ongoing fascination with hearing himself talk did not endear him to me, it's still a little bittersweet to see him hang up his spikes. I've mentioned in the past that I became a baseball fan in 1993, and seeing Curt dropping from the increasingly-dwindling roll call of players from that year who are still active brings me that much closer to the mortality of my baseball childhood. But I've got a more expansive entry planned on that topic. I've also uncovered further significance in Schilling's retirement.

He was the last active member of the 1989 Orioles.

Although they were nearly five years before my time as a baseball fan, I feel a special kinship to that team. With Edward Bennett Williams' poorly-conceived patchwork of aging free agents finally bottoming out in 1988, the O's had finally gutted the roster and started fresh. Nothing was expected of Frank Robinson's 1989 team, a potpurri of untested rookies, overlooked journeymen, and Cal Ripken, Jr. Despite an offense that bordered on the anemic and a pitching staff largely composed of guys that couldn't hit 90 on the radar gun with gale-force winds at their backs, the Birds spent 104 days in first place through a combination of pitching and defense, timely hits, and bizarre luck. The entire city of Baltimore rallied around the O's, adopting a rallying cry of "Why Not?". In the end, they finished 87-75, a 31.5-game improvement from the previous year and two games short of the American League East Championship.

Schilling wasn't a major contributor to that team, as a hard-throwing 22-year-old with more talent than brains. He pitched just 8 and 2/3 innings of relief, allowing six runs and thirteen baserunners. But he's still a part of that team, no matter how small. It's the end of an era. As for the rest of the 1989 Orioles, tomorrow I will be attempting a "Where Are They Now?" entry. Truly I am the master of suspense.

Fred Lynn, 1985 Topps Traded #77T

Fred Lynn played for the Orioles from 1985 through 1988, a four-year run near the end of his accomplished career. But someone at Fleer didn't get the memo. A few months back, I was trading some cards with Ed and I came across Carlton Fisk's 1992 Fleer card. I glanced at the photo and noticed that "Pudge" and the Oriole batter were both wearing their team's old uniforms. I figured it was a Turn Back the Clock Day, but then I took a closer look at the batter:

If you click on the image to enlarge it, you should be able to spot the #19 on the bill of the dejected Oriole's helmet. No Baltimore hitter wore #19 in 1990 or 1991 (pitcher Ben McDonald was in number nineteen). Larry Sheets donned #19 in 1989, but that's pretty clearly not him. That brings us back to Fred Lynn. The White Sox didn't wear these uniforms until 1987, so the picture was taken in either 1987 or 1988. It's a great photo, with Fisk decked out in the tools of ignorance and intensely shouting orders to his pitcher, while Fred looks like he's headed back to the dugout after coming up short. But the real question is why Fleer chose a four-to-five-year-old image for a veteran star's baseball card? I hope that it had something to do with a bet between two bored card designers.

Doug Jones, 1996 Donruss #237

Off the top of my head, I can't remember seeing too many cards that feature handshakes between players. I like this one in particular. It seems like a genuine moment of congratulations and respect between battery mates. Any time that Chris Hoiles (the O's underrated and workmanlike catcher) can get a little more face time on a card, it's all good. It's pretty safe to assume that this scene took place after Doug had closed out a Baltimore victory. It would be pretty funny if Chris wandered out to the mound to talk about how to pitch to Paul Molitor and felt it necessary to formally introduce himself. "Hey, Mr. Jones, I'm Chris Hoiles and I'm your catcher today. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

I've got a little time to kill tonight, so I thought I'd try to pinpoint the game depicted in this photo. The Orioles are wearing their road grays, and the surface they're playing on is clearly AstroTurf. There have never been many American League stadiums with artificial turf, and they appear to be outdoors, which leaves Toronto's SkyDome as the only possibility. (Kansas City switched from turf to natural grass for the 1995 season.)

Surprisingly, Doug pitched in Toronto only twice in 1995: July 1-2. In the first of those two games, the O's had tacked on two runs in the ninth to take a 6-2 lead, allowing the walrus-mustached closer to pitch in a non-save siuation. He made things interesting anyway, loading the bases after getting two quick outs. After John Olerud doubled, Jones issued walks to Ed Sprague and Candy Maldonado to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of outfielder Mike Huff. A liner to second base allowed the Birds to put one in the win column.

The next day was even more exciting for the Orioles. Jays starter Woody Williams took a 7-0 lead into the eighth inning, but the O's knocked him out of the box with a two-run homer off the bat of Gregg ZAUN! But they still trailed by five runs heading into the ninth. Manny Alexander (of all people) hit a solo home run to lead off, and Rafael Palmeiro and Cal Ripken, Jr. each singled to chase reliever Danny Cox. Ricardo Jordan retired Jeffrey Hammonds on a sac fly and struck out Kevin Bass, and the Birds were down to their last out with one runner on base and a 7-4 deficit. For some reason, Cito Gaston pulled the man who had put out the fire and sent Tim Crabtree to the mound. That's when Toronto game unglued.

Bret Barberie hit a pinch single, and he and Cal both scored when right fielder Domingo Cedeno botched pinch hitter Chris Hoiles' fly ball. Rookie outfielder Curtis Goodwin's grounder to short should have ended the game, but Domingo Cedeno made the second consecutive Blue Jay error to put the winning run on base. Brady Anderson walked, and Manny Alexander again came up big, grounding a single up the middle to give the O's an 8-7 lead. A wild pitch scored Anderson with the seventh Baltimore run of the inning (five of them unearned), and Doug Jones came into the game for an unlikely save. This time, he retired the side in order to earn his twelfth save.

There weren't many good days for Doug Jones as an Oriole. He went 0-4 with just 22 saves, and his 5.01 ERA was the second-worst of his long career. He also infamously tipped his cap and argued with a Baltimore fan after a meltdown at home against the Blue Jays (6 ER without getting a single out) turned a 10-6 lead into a 12-10 loss. But that wouldn't be appropriate to depict on a baseball card, now would it?

Vintage Fridays: Johnny Lipon, 1954 Topps #19

This is not only one of the oldest cards in my collection, it is without a doubt the most schizophrenic. As you can see, Johnny is pictured in a Red Sox cap, but identified as an Oriole. If you take a close look at the full-body photo at bottom left, you'll see that Topps attempted to airbrush the Orioles' crossed-bats-and-ball logo onto his cap. It gets better if you flip the card over. The team name on the back is the White Sox.

Huh?

Here's the timeline. On September 8, 1953, the Browns purchased Lipon's contract from the Red Sox. Of course, that offseason, the Brownies moved from St. Louis to Baltimore and became the Orioles. In February of 1954, the Birds dealt Johnny to Chicago in a four-player swap. Clear as mud? The infielder's travels didn't end there. On April 18, he was traded to the Reds, who released him 11 days later. His eight-plus year career ended with just one official at-bat in 1954.

The split personality of this card doesn't end with the team affiliation. As you can see, Johnny's listed as a third baseman. However, his card back talks about his defensive prowess at shortstop; indeed, he led American League shortstops in assists and double plays in 1950, and topped the circuit with a .980 fielding percentage two years later. It's worth noting that Lipon played 717 career games at shortstop, and only 15 at the hot corner. (There were also two games at second base tossed in for good measure.) To throw in one more bit of surreality, a previous owner of this card wrote "O.F." in ink next to Johnny's name on the card back.

Who knew that baseball cards could be so confusing?

Eddie Watt, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #476

Former reliever Eddie Watt attended the University of Northern Iowa. I had no connection to the University of Northern Iowa until yesterday, when I picked the 12th-seeded Panthers to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. This was a "sleeper pick", or an "upset pick". It's what smart people do.

UNI lost their first-round game this afternoon to 5th-seeded Purdue, 61-56. Just like that, my chances of winning the office pool took a big hit. I also picked Maryland, the only team that I've followed closely all year (and a team that pleasantly surprised me with their success in the ACC tournament), to lose in the first round to a vulnerable Cal team. So Eddie Watt stands here tonight as a testament to my stupidity, as I once again remind myself why I don't spend much money on the gambling arts.

Luke Scott, 2008 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Green #168

Without a doubt, this has to be the greenest card in my collection. It's a fitting selection, since we just celebrated St. Patrick's Day yesterday (at least I did, with a six pack of Smithwick's). I'm also thinking green because bit by bit, Spring is coming. I stubbornly believe that. Calendar-wise, the vernal equinox is this coming Sunday. I loathe cold weather and most everything that comes with it. But little indicators are sprouting up to give me hope and encouragement. The dehumidifier in my basement just kicked on for the first time in months, and I saw fit to buy a new lightweight jacket during my last shopping trip. Opening Day is less than three weeks away, and thanks to the bump in Daylight Savings Time, it's light outside when I get home from work. Now the frustrating dance begins. High of 65 today, but Maryland tops out at 50 tomorrow. Still chilly enough in the mornings to wrap up in a heavier jacket and scarf, but warm enough in the afternoon to awkwardly stuff the ensemble in my backpack. Come on, Spring. We're waiting.