Al Bumbry, 1993 Ted Williams #82

Last night was one of my most enjoyable experiences at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and it went far beyond the game. Last week, Stacey at Camden Chat was kind enough to clue me in on a "Blogger Night" that the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network was organizing. So I gladly ducked out of work an hour early and took the train from D.C. to Baltimore. At 5:30, I met up at the Home Plate Plaza with a pretty strong representation of Birdland's best unpaid journalists: Stacey, Bill, and Johnny from Camden Chat, Neal from The Loss Column, and (I hope I'm not forgetting anyone) folks from The Wayward Oriole, Dempsey's Army, Roar from 34, Baltimore Sports and Life, Baltimore Sports Report, Oriole Post, and Oriole Magic. It was great to put some faces with names, and frankly it's encouraging and astounding that a baseball team that's been in the wilderness for so long has inspired such a group of dedicated and talented writers. It's even cooler that some of them made the trip from out of state (New York, North Carolina, and Georgia, if I recall).

When everyone was accounted for, our gracious MASN hosts (Todd Webster and Kristin Hudak) took us up to the press level, where we briefly met field-level reporter Amber Theoharis (who is as charming in real life as she is on television). Then we had an audience with the TV announcing team of Gary Thorne and Buck Martinez, both of whom are shorter than yours truly, incidentally. Gary's voice is as deep and commanding as Buck's is nasal. I'm not a fan of the former Blue Jays and Royals catcher, but anyone who could put together a two-decade broadcasting career with that voice must be doing something right. The duo answered a few questions and described the exhaustive amount of preparation that goes into calling a baseball game, and explained that they don't really follow any blogs for a variety or reasons, including generation gap and time constraints. I appreciated their honesty, and could certainly understand that. After all, I spent a long weekend away from my computer and came back to find 300+ posts waiting for me in my RSS feed. Blogs are an entertaining and informative time-suck, you know.

Next we wandered down to the bullpen picnic area, where Jim Hunter and Rick Dempsey were recording the live pre-game show. Todd gave us some more information on MASN (they've been increasing the number of games broadcast in high-definition each year, and next year they're hoping to get the go-ahead from the cable providers to air each and every O's and Nats game in HD; they'd be interested in providing more original content like documentaries and talk shows, but for the first few years, just producing and airing the games took most of their focus; and so forth).

Finally, our motley crew piled into the MASN suite. If you ever have the chance to watch a baseball game from a suite, do it; you'll get spoiled. We shared the suite with a group of Gregg Zaun's family and/or friends, and we were all on our best behavior in matters concerning the veteran catcher. I took advantage of the fridge (stocked with beer, water, and soda) and the various spreads of finger foods (chicken wings and tenders, potato skins, mozzerella sticks, etc.), crab cakes, and cookies. I even ended up taking home a carry-out box full of those crab cakes, at the insistence of one of the event staff. It took a lot of convincing, I assure you.

Various MASN talent stopped in throughout the night. Rick Dempsey watched most of the game on the flat screens in the suite and seemed to take copious notes. I briefly talked to him about the season-long infusion of young talent. In the middle innings, I introduced myself to longtime O's reporter Roch Kubatko. While we were talking, Orioles GM Andy MacPhail appeared on-camera in the broadcast booth and a hush fell over the suite. I didn't realize it at the time, but he'd just announced that top prospect and mythological hero Matt Wieters would officially be making his major league debut in this Friday night's home game against the Tigers. That explains why Roch rushed off almost immediately afterward. But the most unexpected moment came when I spotted Al Bumbry across the room, helping himself to a meal. When he walked over to the partition between the suite and the adjoining balcony to watch the action, I came over to say hello and to ask him what brought him there. "Just hanging out", he replied. Such are the perks of being the 1973 A.L. Rookie of the Year.

We also got to meet Greg Bader and Monica Pence, two of the Birds' top dogs in communications and public relations, and there was a late-innings tour of the MASN production truck in the bowels of the B & O Warehouse. It was overwhelming to see 20 people parked in front of dozens of monitors and laptops; sometimes you take for granted all the work that goes into bringing a ballgame into your living room.

Speaking of the ballgame...believe it or not, I did find time to watch it! Of course, with a temperature in the fifties and a steady light rain for a Tuesday night game against the Blue Jays, I didn't have much company. I was part of a Camden Yards-record-low crowd of 10,130 (paid attendance; my eyeballs told me that the butts in the seats were even fewer). I was thankful to be able to retreat indoors, but I did sit outside for most of the first and last few innings, as well as the odd moment in between. O's starter Jason Berken didn't light the world on fire in his big league debut, but he kept his cool and Houdini'd his way out of ten Toronto baserunners, allowing just two runs in five innings. Perhaps bolstered by the news that Matt Wieters was on his way, the Baltimore bats picked up the slack from the middle of the game onward. Aubrey Huff, Adam Jones, and Nolan Reimold all hit no-doubter home runs, and Matt Albers and Jim Johnson slammed the door shut with four innings of scoreless relief. It was the perfect capper to an exciting night of VIP treatment.

Thanks again to MASN and the Orioles for reaching out to some of your most vocal and dedicated followers, and for not asking for any special treatment in return. A little effort goes a long way.

Danys Baez, 2008 Upper Deck #174

Okay, I'm back from Baseball Oblivion. While it's nice to get away from the siren song of the Internet and cable TV for a couple days with a good book and a stack of DVDs, there's sort of a helpless sense of disconnect when it comes to the Orioles. I'm always frustrated by the shortcomings of the local news programs in northeastern Pennsylvania, where sports coverage centers on Yankees and Phillies highlights before jumping off the deep end with high school sports or NASCAR or something else that I'm not used to seeing as a focal point. I spent this past weekend searching (mostly in vain) for so much as a scrolling score. I missed out on news of Friday's game, but did learn the bare minimum of Saturday and Sunday's contests well after the fact: Orioles 2, Nationals 1. Nationals 8, Orioles 5. However, early Saturday evening I went out with my family for dinner, and we came far enough down the mountain to drift into cell phone range, so I hungrily gathered all of the details about one of the most exciting and improbable wins the O's will have all year.

First, I saw that I had a voicemail from Ed, a frequent reader of this blog and trading partner. In his message, he mentioned that he was in a good mood thanks to the Birds breaking their losing streak. My curiosity piqued, I sat in the restaurant and used my phone to connect to espn.com so that I could read the game story. Each paragraph brought better news than the last. Danys Baez earned the win by pitching two scoreless innings...AND scoring the winning run after reaching base with a two-out infield hit that died 30 feet from the plate? George Sherrill closed it out with a 1-2-3 frame? Rich Hill had a second solid performance to start his Orioles career? Matt Albers pitched well after taking the roster spot of the released-at-long-last Adam Eaton? Nolan Reimold hit another home run? Hallelujah.

I was sorry to miss the spectacle of Danys Baez (0-3 in his eight-year career heading into Friday's game) somehow making contact while simultaneously backing out of the batters' box, then running to first like a man possessed. That's the kind of bizarrely hilarious thing that is bound to happen sooner or later in a 162-game season. Dave Trembley's got a short bench and his hands are tied, and he's sending a relief pitcher to the plate and telling himself that he'll at least be able to turn over the lineup for the top of the thirteenth, provided the game lasts that long. The next thing you know, the desperation move has ignited the game-winning rally, and a four-game losing streak is history.

I missed it in real time, but you'd better believe I tracked down the video (skip to about 7:46). What the heck, how about a little photographic evidence as well? You don't see this sort of thing every day.

Gary Roenicke, 1986 Topps #494

This Day in Orioles History: May 25, 1982

Orioles 10, Rangers 3 at Arlington Stadium, Arlington, TX

Jim Palmer won the 250th game of his storied career, scattering nine hits and two walks in eight and one-third innings, but the offense was the story as the O's (20-21) showed signs of life while downing the bottom-feeding Rangers (11-26).

The Baltimore bats were relentless, as the team scored in five different innings and put up crooked numbers three times. With Eddie Murray sidelined due to tendinitis in his left hand, Gary Roenicke started at first base and did his best impression of #33, bashing a pair of two-run home runs and adding a single and a walk in five trips to the plate. His usual platoon partner, John Lowenstein, also went deep as part of a three-RBI night. Al Bumbry set the table with three hits from the leadoff spot, rookie third baseman Cal Ripken, Jr. (who would start the first of a record 2,632 consecutive games later that week) had a single in five at-bats, and the only Oriole starter without a hit was shortstop Bobby Bonner.

After starting the season with a thud (6-12 in April), the O's righted the ship in May (17-12), and posted a winning record in every month for the rest of the year, culminating in an incredible season-ending showdown with the first-place Brewers. The Birds won the first three games of the four-game set to tie Milwaukee before Palmer faltered in the finale. In a touching scene, the Baltimore fans remained in the stands at Memorial Stadium and roared their approval and thanks for retiring manager Earl Weaver.

Jim Poole, 1995 Pacific #29

This Day in Orioles History: May 24, 1993

Orioles 8, Yankees 6 at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

In front of a sparse crowd in "The House that Ruth Built", the sixth-place Birds (18-25) overcame a rocky start by elder statesman Rick Sutcliffe to top the hated Yankees (24-20). Sut improved to 5-2 despite permitting all six runs in six innings of work. He was victimized by two home runs off the bat of flash-in-the-pan slugger Kevin Maas, which accounted for four of the half-dozen New York tallies. He was relieved by lefty Jim Poole, who shut the Bombers down with two perfect innings of work, fanning three batters in the process. Closer Gregg Olson earned the save despite walking the leadoff hitter in the ninth. It was his ninth save of the year, and his 140th as an Oriole, extending his team record.

Righty Jim Abbott and the host Yanks were nursing a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when all hell broke loose. A Brady Anderson double and a Mark McLemore 2-RBI single gave the O's a 3-1 lead, and catcher Chris Hoiles delivered a three-run homer that looked like the dagger. However, Sutcliffe coughed up a run in the bottom of the frame and four more in the sixth to tie the game, 6-6. The Baltimore bats immediately bailed their pitcher out, though, with Cal Ripken's leadoff dinger in the seventh putting the club ahead for good. Harold Reynolds added insurance with a run-scoring single in the following inning.

Jeffrey Hammonds, 1995 Fleer Ultra 2nd Year Standouts #7

This Day in Orioles History: May 23, 1998

Orioles 9, Athletics 1 at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, CA

Outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds led an offensive explosion as the Orioles (21-27) attempted to turn around a disappointing start to their season, pummeling the similarly struggling host A's (20-27). The former #1 draft pick from Stanford went 2-for-5 with three runs scored and four driven in. His fourth-inning grand slam against ex-teammate Jimmy Haynes chased the pitcher from the game and turned a 3-0 contest into a 7-0 laugher. A two-run double by Harold Baines put the finishing touches on the game in the sixth inning.

Almost lost in the shuffle was a strong effort by veteran O's starter Doug Drabek. Off to a brutal start in what would be the final season of his 13-year career, he went the distance, allowing four hits and striking out nine. Believe it or not, Jack Voigt drove in the only Oakland run with an eighth-inning double. Sadly, it was Drabek's best performance as an Oriole by far. He missed most the second half with injuries, and his solid career came to an ignominious end with a 6-11 record and a putrid 7.29 ERA.

Vintage Fridays: Hoyt Wilhelm, 1963 Topps #108

This Day in Orioles History: May 22, 1959

Orioles 5, Yankees 0 at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD

The upstart Orioles (21-15) and the dynastic Yankees (12-20) each continued their surprising starts, as 36-year-old Hoyt Wilhelm improved to 6-0 with a one-hit masterpiece. Wilhelm, who would go on to lead the American League with his 2.19 ERA that season, continued his mastery of the Bronx Bombers. Since joining the O's in a midseason trade the previous year, Hoyt was undefeated against New York, no-hitting them in his first try and winning three decisions in five tries. As an Oriole, he had allowed three runs on 15 hits in 43 innings, with 33 strikeouts and 18 walks. That's a 0.63 ERA and 0.77 WHIP, folks. He would shut the Yanks out again in his next start (a four-hitter!) before the pinstripers finally bested him 4-1 at the end of June. Talk about your Yankee Killers!

On offense, the Birds jumped on former Oriole Bob Turley early, knocking him out of the box in the first inning. "Bullet Bob" got two outs and then fell apart. A Gene Woodling RBI single was followed by a Gus Triandos two-run homer. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases before Wilhelm walked to drive in the fourth Baltimore run. That's when Casey Stengel finally gave his starter the hook. A fifth-inning walk by Billy Klaus capped the day's scoring. The sole Yankee hit was a Jerry Lumpe leadoff single to left field to lead off the eighth inning, but pinch hitter Johnny Blanchard immediately wiped him out with a double-play grounder.

If you think this game choice on my part was a bit of retribution for the just-completed Yankee sweep, I'm not going to argue.

Ed Barnowski, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #22

Pitcher Ed Barnowski is one of twenty major leaguers to come out of Scranton, PA. Of course, most of you know Scranton as the setting of "The Office", which happens to be one of my favorite TV shows. If you're a real sports nut, you may also know it (in conjunction with neighboring Wilkes-Barre) as the hometown of the Yankees' AAA affiliate, the Penguins' minor-league hockey affiliate, and the Arena Football League 2's Pioneers. It's also the location of the University of Scranton, the alma mater of my grandparents, incidentally. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be driving past Scranton with my family en route to our cottage in northeastern Pennsylvania, which is situated about an hour north of the "Electric City". We're spending the holiday weekend up there in order to open the little lakeside dwelling for the summer. It's a true getaway destination, nestled in the mountains and sitting on a manmade lake. It's four hours from home, and there's no cable or Internet (gasp!). So I'm abandoning you again for a few days, but the next four installments of "This Day in Orioles History" are scheduled to auto-post in my absence. I might just have a surprise in store for you in the middle of next week, so sit tight and enjoy your long weekend!

Ed Rogers, 2002 Studio #107

While searching for inspiration after another team-wide meltdown against the most despised of opponents, I came across good ol' Eddie Rogers, a symbol of an era of overhyped, mediocre prospects. Around the turn of the century, I heard his name mentioned in breathless tones as "the next Alex Rodriguez". He was a shortstop from the Dominican Republic...and that's about where the comparison ends. He hit .298 at AAA Ottowa...in 2006, when he was 27. He topped out at 11 HR and 57 RBI. Despite his mediocre minor league record, he did make it to the majors, and played 30 whole games and batted a robust .207. His lasting legacy was an interleague game in Shea Stadium in 2006, when he was positioned in left field and had a batted ball land in his jersey.

As I sit impatiently through loss after loss, checking minor league box scores and scouting reports, I just keep reminding myself that the new batch of young players are prospects and not suspects. It's not just Syd Thrift and Mike Flanagan selling the fans their own brand of snake oil; respected baseball executives, reporters, and bloggers are sold on Matt Wieters, Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, and Brian Matusz. The less-heralded rookies are already here, and doing their best to make things interesting. Lost in last night's Chris Ray gasoline job was a strong start by Brad Bergesen, who retired 13 straight batters after Rodriguez's first-inning home run and left in the seventh inning trailing 2-1. Tonight, Nolan Reimold salvaged something from another bullpen wreck by hitting his first career home run off of that Mariano Rivera guy. The uglier things get, the less I want to wait.

Sid Fernandez, 1994 Sportflics Update #2

Okay, so lenticular cards don't scan too well. But in this case, it gives the image an ethereal sort of quality that I like. Besides, Sid Fernandez is the guy who, after racking up a 7.67 ERA to start the 1995 season and being demoted to the bullpen, was quoted as saying: "You just won't see me...I'll be gone with the wind, and that's it." Rather than retire, he hung around until the Birds released him in July, halfway through his three-year, $9 million contract (which was a hefty sum in those days). Naturally, he signed with the Phillies and went 6-1 with a 3.34 ERA the rest of the way. Feh.

I look at El Sid's career numbers and try to figure out where the O's went wrong. He was flat unhittable for a full decade with the Mets, never allowing more than 7.4 hits per nine innings in a full season. He was switching to the American League, but there's no reason that the move should have turned him into a toad. Then again, he was pretty chunky, had missed big chunks of two of the previous three seasons with injuries, and was on the wrong side of thirty. Caveat emptor. I also just learned from The Bad Guys Won, Jeff Pearlman's book about the 1986 Mets, that the rotund Hawaiian apparently believed that professional wrestling was real. This absolutely dumbfounded me. How is this possible, even in the 1980s?! I realize that it's not the sort of thing that routinely comes up when a team meets with a free agent, but now I think that it should. If I'm about to sign a guy to a multi-year, seven-figure deal, I think I might like to know that he's afraid of being eaten by Kamala the Ugandan Giant. It's called doing your due diligence.

Brooks Robinson, 2001 Upper Deck Decades: 1970's #17

Today (May 18) is a big day for birthdays in the Orioles universe. The following former Birds are hopefully all celebrating with cake and beer tonight:

-Quadruple-A outfielder Luis Terrero, 29
-Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, 63
-One of the oldest living Orioles, outfielder Gil Coan, 87

Of course, the most notable O's birthday today is third baseman Brooks Robinson, who blows out 72 candles! Just last week, I talked about #5's recent treatment for prostate cancer, and the volume and tone of reader responses was a reminder of just how much Brooks has meant to the Orioles, their fans, and the city of Baltimore in the fifty-five years since his major league debut. You've cheered his on-field exploits, corresponded with him, met him face-to-face, and even named your children after him. He has experienced and witnessed the practical entirety of the O's existence, from Paul Richards and Gus Triandos to Earl Weaver and Jim Palmer to Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken, Jr. to Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis. Really, if you think about it, May 18 should be a local holiday. It's too late to do anything about it this year, but we can all start preparing our excuses to miss work the next time around!

Eddie Murray, 1988 Donruss Baseball's Best #142

Only Eddie Murray could make the batting-helmet-over-the-cap style look cool. The single black glove and the matching orange wristbands don't hurt. But take a closer look at his left wristband, which is facing the camera. If I'm not mistaken, Eddie is wearing wristbands that bear his own likeness, complete with afro. (It's either him or Lionel Richie.) Seriously, do you think Kelly Gruber would have been able to pull that off? Or, say, Ozzie Smith? Okay, maybe Andre Dawson could make it work. But to my knowledge, Eddie Murray is the only member of the 500 home run, 3,000 hit, self-referential wristband club. It's truly a badge of honor.

Mike Griffin, 1988 Fleer #561

I would wager that Mike Griffin is one of the most anonymous pitchers in Orioles history. He's got the complete package: totally generic name, a resume that includes five teams in parts of six major league seasons, and a grand Baltimore total of 23 games for a lousy 1987 club. That season saw a league-wide offensive explosion, and the Birds were so desperate to find pitchers that could get a few guys out (5.01 team ERA and a league-worst 226 HR allowed), they called out to the 30-year-old Griffin, who hadn't seen any major league action since 1982. The journeyman wasn't awful, winning three and losing five with a 4.36 ERA that was actually a bit above league average. Among O's pitchers with at least fifty innings in 1987, Mike was third in earned run average. Still, he was back in Rochester in 1988, and took no part in that debacle.

Today, Mike Griffin is having a greater impact on the Orioles than he ever did as a player. Last year, he joined the AA Bowie Baysox as pitching coach and mentored a whole rotation full of promising young hurlers, including Chris Tillman (11-4, 3.18 ERA, 10.2 K/9), David Hernandez (10-4, 2.68 ERA, 10.6 K/9), Jason Berken (12-4, 3.58 ERA), and last year's Orioles minor league pitcher of the year, Brad Bergesen (15-6, 3.22 ERA), who is now on the O's staff. The organization moved Griffin up to AAA Norfolk this year, and he and his pitchers have picked up where they left off. The first-place tides are 23-12, and the staff has a 3.19 ERA. Hernandez, Berken, and Tillman have combined to go 9-1 with a 2.28 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 86 and two-thirds innings.

Mike Griffin is molding the minds and arms that the Orioles are counting on to bring them back to the top of the American League. I'm sure you would have guessed it just by looking at him (or his card) twenty years ago.

Vintage Fridays: Dave Skaggs, 1980 Topps #211

Things you may not know about Dave Skaggs:

-His middle name is "Lindsey". Don't snicker.

-Was the last Oriole to wear #8 before Cal Ripken, Jr.

-Hit his first career home run in the final game of the 1977 season, off of Rick Wise of the Red Sox. He would hit just two more longballs in total, and one of those was also against Wise!

-Is not related to musician Boz Skaggs.

-Hails from Santa Monica, CA. The two most famous major leaguers from his hometown are former Oriole Dwight Evans and submarine-style reliever Dan Quisenberry.

-One anagram for David Lindsey Skaggs is "Salvaged Giddy Skins". Hmm.

Joe Price, 1991 Fleer #488

Well, it must be Thursday night, because I'm starting to get punchy. This happens every week. After four days of running on five-ish hours of sleep a night, I get within sniffing distance of Friday and I get a giddy burst of energy. I think that's the very definition of a weekend warrior. What can I say? Friday means two days without a four-hour round trip commute, or a 6 AM wakeup, or deadlines, or the high-pitched beeping of a fax machine that needs a new cartridge...

Okay, let's wrap this up before I kill my own buzz. Thank you to Joe Price for standing in as Joe Friday. Dragnet...is that the most dated reference I've ever made on this blog?

Dave Trembley, 2009 Topps Heritage #226

I was listening to a Bill Simmons podcast on ESPN recently, and he was lamenting the lack of colorful, imaginative baseball nicknames these days. I couldn't agree more. We've gone from "Three-Finger" Brown, "The Big Train" Walter Johnson, and "The Georgia Peach" Ty Cobb to "A-Rod", "K-Rod"...ugh. I can't continue. If I have my way, at least one team will have a solid set of nicknames. I'll hit as much of the O's roster as I can, giving credit wherever it may be due.

Gregg ZAUN - ZAUN needs no nickname, puny fleshbags!

Aubrey Huff - I've heard "Huff Daddy", but that's a bit dated, don't you think? I'm going with "Hack", because I think he looks like actor David Morse. Besides, it's been a while since Hack Wilson. I'm bringing it back.

Brian Roberts - He's from Durham. Little Bull? I'm a bit stuck.

Cesar Izturis - The Kaiser. Sure, he's not German, but there's gotta be some wordplay with Cesar/Caesar.

Melvin Mora - On Camden Chat, he is often known simply as MelMo or even Memlo, an intentional mangling. Memlo kind of rolls off the tongue, actually. Alternatively, I always thought he was shaped oddly, kind of like a duck. The Spanish for duck is "pato". El Pato, maybe?

Nick Markakis - Keep it simple. He's Markickass. I even saw it on the back of a #21 jersey a fellow fan was wearing at Camden Yards.

Adam Jones - His family and teammates call him Jonesy, which is all good and well...but I'm partial to Dr. Jones, per the folks at Camden Chat. He's every bit as dashing and adventurous as Indiana Jones, after all.

Luke Scott - Again, no nickname needed, really. He's just "LUUUUUKKKKKEEEEE!".

Ty Wigginton - He followed Aubrey Huff to Tampa Bay, Houston, and Baltimore, so Huff jokingly referred to him as his "fat male stalker". I just can't top that.

Jeremy Guthrie - Guts is short, sweet, and to the point. I've seen the nickname used at both Camden Chat and The Loss Column.

Koji Uehara - The Osaka Kid. Yeah, he's 34, but I saw footage of him happily goose-stepping around the clubhouse in cowboy boots, courtesy of Jamie Walker.

Brad Bergesen - Bergemeister. Sure, that's the second German-sounding nickname. What do you want? My last name is Brotzman.

Adam Eaton - Mud.

Mark Hendrickson - Based on his first professional career, I vote for The Poster.

Danys Baez - Cohiba. He's Cuban, and for the time being, he's throwing smoke.

Brian Bass - Fish Pump. A relatively new Camden Chat moniker, born out of Aubrey Huff's mockery of Joba Chamberlain and a funny typo.

Jamie Walker - Given his good ol' boy persona, I'm leaning toward Jamie Walker Red.

Chris Ray - I've got nothing. He's from Tampa, attended the College of William and Mary (go Tribe!)...suggestions?

Jim Johnson - I believe this one came from the Loss Column: Bandsaw. There was a Baltimore Sun column about Jim's interest in carpentry. It works, considering the way his sinker cuts through opposing hitters.

George Sherrill - Well, I thought the consensus was Flat Breezy, but at Camden Yards he seems to be the Brim Reaper.

Dave Trembley - Again, Camden Chat knows him as Diamond Dave, much like Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth.

That's everyone I have the energy for at the moment (sorry, Lou Montanez and Dennis Sarfate). You can probably do better, so please have at it!

Brooks Robinson, 2007 Upper Deck Masterpieces #13

Shocking news today, as Brooks Robinson disclosed that he had recently undergone treatment for prostate cancer. He was speaking in Baltimore at a luncheon for the American Cancer Society, and thankfully the news was good. His condition was diagnosed early and he underwent a series of 39 radiation treatments. The 71-year-old Hall of Famer says that he's perfectly healthy now, and is glad that he was so conscientious about his health. I'm certain that thousands of Orioles fans - and baseball fans in general - are even more relieved than he is. I've never heard of someone who met Brooks and didn't come away impressed by his friendliness and candor. In recent years, Baltimore has lost too many of its baseball heroes: Dave McNally, Hank Bauer, Elrod Hendricks, Mark Belanger, Steve Barber. It sounds like "Hoover" will be around for several years to come, as it should be.

Scott Erickson, 1997 Circa #245

I can't believe that the other card companies didn't have an intervention for Fleer in the late 1990s when they staggered into the apartment one night with their newest floozy Circa. Look at this hot mess. The giant gradient last-name letters. The ubiquitous silver foil. The horrendous day-glo polygon background. The banal athlete quote in italics. (Gee, I always wondered what Scott Erickson thought of the grass at Camden Yards!) This loud cardboard vomit brand lasted all of three years, which is about three years too many. The next time you lament the loss of Fleer, just remember: they might have had it coming.

Melvin Mora, 2006 Fleer Ultra #104

As you can see, Melvin Mora is wearing his pink wristband to support breast cancer research on Mother's Day (Sunday, May 8, 2005). Though the pink accessories suited the O's hitters well that day, the pitchers had no such luck, as Kansas City left Oriole Park at Camden Yards with a 10-8 win. Of course, four Baltimore errors didn't help matters much. Still, Mora stood out with a home run, a double, and three RBI in the game. What else would you expect from the major leagues' only father of quintuplets? He was working overtime to pay tribute to the important women in his life.

The Birds don't have a great Mother's Day track record in recent years, as you may be painfully aware. But that should be a secondary concern this afternoon. Step away from the television or computer for a bit, and let the mothers in your life know what they mean to you.

Dennis Martinez, 1982 Fleer #170

Oh, I am eating this card up with a spoon. Dennis Martinez has one of the best smiles in baseball, but there weren't a whole lot of cards from his time with the Orioles that showed off that smile. Maybe that's poor photo selection from the card companies, or maybe he was actually smiling less, as he was dealing with an alcohol addiction at the time. Either way, I'm glad to see "El Presidente" flashing a mischievous grin here. The cherry on top is the bat-and-helmet pose, which you don't get to see on a lot of pitcher cards, especially for American League teams between the beginning of the Designated Hitter era (1973) and the inception of Interleague Play (1997). It's clear that Dennis and/or the Fleer photographer decided to have a little fun, especially since the stadium in the background looks to be Fenway Park (Fleer did most of their work in Boston in those days). It's unlikely that Earl Weaver was auditioning the Nicarauguan hurler as a pinch hitter. Of course with Earl, you never know!

Incidentally, on this date in 1981, Dennis pitched 8 and 1/3 innings, holding Texas to three runs on seven hits and outlasting Fergie Jenkins for a 7-3 Orioles win. Now you know.

Vintage Fridays: Dave Philley, 1961 Topps #369

I was stunned to learn that Dom DiMaggio, a seven-time All-Star center fielder for the Red Sox and the younger brother of Joe DiMaggio, passed away this morning. It was one of those weird cosmic coincidences, in that just yesterday I was learning about Dom's career by reading David Halberstam's book Summer of '49 and had given him a mention on my 1965 Topps blog. Speaking frankly, I was also a bit surprised that he had still been alive until today; 92 years is a long life by any standard.

So I got to thinking: who is the oldest living ex-Orioles player? After poring over the team's rosters from 1954-1964, the dean of the Birds is none other than pinch hitter extraordinaire Dave Philley. He was born on May 16 (my grandmother's birthday) in 1920. God willing, he will blow out 89 candles on his cake a week from tomorrow. A switch hitter, he made his major league debut with the White Sox in 1941, just in time to lose four years of his career to service in World War II. In an early indicator of his longevity, he still played in the big leagues for parts of eighteen seasons, retiring at age 42 after playing 38 games in 1962 with the Red Sox. He earned a spot in the record books in 1959, when he hit safely in his ninth consecutive appearance as a pinch hitter. He was a favorite of manager Paul Richards and had two stints with the O's. In the second half of the 1955 season, he hit .299 in his first go-round in Baltimore and was named Most Valuable Oriole. In 1961, his final season in Charm City, he set American League records with 24 pinch hits in 72 tries (.333 AVG). Today, he still lives in his hometown of Paris, Texas.

Congratulations on a long and remarkable career and an even longer life, Dave!

Bob Melvin, 1992 Upper Deck #692

In this photo, Bob Melvin looks like he's preparing to punch somebody in the groin. Fast-forward to 2009, and he probably feels like doing just that. It was just announced that the Arizona Diamondbacks have fired Bob as their manager after four-plus seasons. In 2007, he was Manager of the Year for guiding the club to 90 wins, a National League West crown, and an NLCS appearance. A year and a half later, the D'backs are 12-17 and nine games behind the Dodgers, so he's a bum. I suppose you know the breaks when you agree to take a managing job, and baseball skippers generally have more job security than their counterparts in the other major professional sports in this country. Still, if you see Bob Melvin in your travels this weekend, be sure to buy him a beer. It probably hasn't been a great week.

Travis Driskill, 2004 MLB Showdown #35

You may notice the watermarks on the above image; needless to say, this is not one of my own scans. I was dead-set on posting this card tonight, and I know I have it somewhere in my collection, but I just couldn't find it tonight. The best laid plans, etc. As soon as I track down the dang-blasted thing, I'll replace this picture with a prettier one. Sigh.

I wanted to talk about Travis Driskill, who made his major league debut in 2002 with the Orioles at age thirty, a full decade after being chosen in the fourth round of the amateur draft by the Indians. He hung around until 2007 and racked up a lofty 5.23 ERA, but he made it after all. Besides, he went 5-0 to begin his career and that's something that can't be taken away. Travis has an encouraging story of perseverance, but part of me imagines that he took so long to make it because he's a procrastinator. "I'll earn that promotion to the big leagues tomorrow!"

Travis might not be a procrastinator, but I certainly am one - one of the best (or worst?). It's been that way ever since middle school. Those are confusing years for everyone, and it was like a switch was flipped inside me. I was always a quiet, intelligent kid who worried myself sick over things like grades, but eventually I just decided to save myself the aggravation and let things ride. I probably went too far in the other direction, deciding to start putting together a science fair project the night before it was due or just plain ignoring some homework assignments, as if there would be no consequences. I straightened up a bit eventually, ensuring that I would make it to (and through) the high school of my choice. But the procrastinator in me has won many battles over the years. In college, there were many papers finished at four or five in the morning. I threw myself at the mercy of a few professors for deadline extensions. On one memorable occasion, I sat in my bathroom memorizing a script for a friend's final scene in directing class...approximately fifteen minutes before I was due at the theatre.

If you don't believe that I'm more than willing to put off 'til tomorrow what could be done today, take a look at the time stamps on most of my blog entries. Tonight we're cutting it close to midnight again. I'm finally getting annoyed by my own dawdling, so I'm hoping to start knocking some items off of my to-do list that have been lingering for as long as several months. I haven't made much progress here at midweek, but hopefully writing about it will get the ball rolling. I've got a few overdue packages of cards that are ready to be mailed to trade partners, so that's something. What's next? Updating my resume, adding some must-have music to my iPod, sorting my Orioles cards, filling out an online dating profile (yes, I'm really going there...eventually), putting together some marketing materials for my theatre troupe...something, anything, everything.

But it will have to wait for tomorrow. If I don't get to bed soon, it'll be hard to accomplish anything for the rest of the week.

Mike Flanagan, 1981 Fleer Star Stickers #56

Since I started trading with other bloggers and readers, I've gotten more than cards to add to my Orioles collection. There are the oddball coins, mini-books, temporary tattoos, and of course, stickers. I have dozens of stickers, just begging to be peeled: full-size player pictures with card-type backs, like Mike Flanagan here; mini album-size player pictures (Panini sticker albums were all the rage when I was a kid); full-color Orioles logo stickers from Fleer; and holographic logo stickers from Upper Deck. I can only imagine what would have become of these stickers if they'd come into my possession fifteen years ago or earlier. Chances are good that they would have been ripped from their backings and plastered all over my card boxes, binders, folders, notebooks, maybe even on top of a baseball-themed poster. I haven't quite figured out what to do with them now. The player stickers will probably stay put, since they're similar to cards. But I think my 1993 Toyota Camry would look pretty fierce with a bunch of 1980's Swinging Bird logos running across the side panel.

Juan Castro, 2009 Topps #99

The following companies were all the beneficiaries of free advertising by way of this card:

-Under Armour
-Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (in HD!)
-State Farm Insurance
-Gogo-Pogo: Invisible Pogo Sticks for Infielders
-Grady Sizemore's match.com profile (you wouldn't think he'd need help with dating, but he's terribly shy)

Brian Roberts, 2006 Topps Co-Signers #58

I have to admit that I'm not finding a lot of things worth mentioning about the 2009 incarnation of the Baltimore Orioles (currently on a 3 win, 14 loss skid...bleah), but Brian Roberts reached a notable milestone in yesterday's game. The diminutive second baseman, who spent the first three seasons of his career battling with Jerry Hairston for a spot in the starting lineup, became the fifteenth player in Orioles history to play 1,000 games. It's great to know that one of my favorite players is now in such rare company as one of the team's all-time players. Here's the full list. Rich Dauer sticks out like a sore thumb, and it's eerie that Rafael Palmeiro played exactly 1,000 games in Baltimore before disappearing forever.

Games Played as an Oriole

1. Cal Ripken, Jr. (1981-2001) - 3,001
2. Brooks Robinson (1955-1977) - 2,896
3. Mark Belanger (1965-1981) - 1,962
4. Eddie Murray (1977-1988; 1996) - 1,884
5. Boog Powell (1961-1974) - 1,763
6. Brady Anderson (1988-2001) - 1,759
7. Paul Blair (1964-1976) - 1,700
8. Ken Singleton (1975-1984) - 1,446
9. Al Bumbry (1972-1984) - 1,428
10. Rick Dempsey (1976-1986; 1992) - 1,245
11. Melvin Mora (2000-present) - 1,141
12. Rich Dauer (1976-1985) - 1,140
13. Brian Roberts (2001-present) - 1,001
B. J. Surhoff (1996-2000; 2003-2005) - 1,001
15. Rafael Palmeiro (1994-1998; 2004-2005) - 1,000

Kerry Ligtenberg, 2004 Topps #71

Nothing has ever come easily to Kerry Ligtenberg in baseball. In the early 1990s, he made the University of Minnesota baseball team as a walk-on. There were no major league scouts beating down his door, so he graduated with a degree in chemical engineering and kept his baseball dream alive by catching on with the Minneapolis Loons of the now-defunct Prairie League in 1994. The Mariners purchased his contract during the players' strike the next Spring, but released him four days later. Those four days as a replacement player would cost him membership in the players' union. He went back to the Loons and went 11-2 with a no-hitter, but was ready to call it quits until the Braves signed him in January of 1996. He pitched well and quickly moved through the farm system, getting the call to the bigs the following August. By 1998, Kerry was the Braves' closer, saving 30 games and posting a solid 2.71 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. But the next spring, he injured his elbow and missed the whole season with Tommy John surgery.

Ligtenberg bounced back in 2000; though he lost his ninth-inning role, he compiled a 3.21 ERA with Atlanta and Baltimore. He moved on to Toronto in 2004 and was awful (1-6, 6.38), and seven even worse outings in Arizona in 2005 spelled the end of his major league career. He pitched two seasons at AAA and finally seemed through with baseball after a knee injury cut short his Spring Training stint in Cincinnati in 2007. He started looking into work as a financial planner.

But Kerry Ligtenberg is back, in a manner of speaking. Now nine days short of his 38th birthday, the righty is making a run at the ninth-inning job for the St. Paul Saints, one of the better-known independent baseball clubs. He hit his spots and showed good movement during a 10-minute live session earlier this week, and got the invite to camp. Kerry summed it up pretty well:

"I might be old and gray," Ligtenberg said. "But I still love to play."

Vintage Fridays: Dave May, 1970 Topps #81

Happy May Day, folks! Unlike last year, I'm not going to regale you with sordid tales of nudity and bacchanalia. Sorry. Dave May was the first of the three Mays to play for the Orioles (the others, as previously mentioned, were his son Derrick and of course the powerful Lee May). Unfortunately, none of the Baltimore trio of Mays were born in their namesake month, which would have allowed for some creative uniform design. But Lee May's younger brother had the chance and took the initiative.

Carlos May was born on May 17, 1948. He was a decent player in his own right, hitting .274 in a ten-year career and being selected as a two-time All Star despite losing his right thumb in a mortar accident while in the Marine Reserves. But many fans (particularly the trivia-crazy) know him best as the only player in major league history to wear his birthday on his back: MAY 17. I couldn't find a rear view of him, but here's a frontal shot. As somebody who has a fixation on uniform numbers, I think that's pretty cool.

I don't want to give Dave May short shrift, since this very well may be the first and last time he's featured on this blog. He never did much for the O's, hitting .216 with 5 home runs in parts of four seasons at the beginning of his career, but his last home run for the Birds was a game-winning two-run shot in the bottom of the tenth on June 14, 1970. It came off of Fred Talbot of the A's, who incidentally was featured on my 1965 Topps blog today. Dave also was an All-Star for the Brewers in 1973. That year, he hit .303 with 25 HR and 93 RBI and led the American League with 295 total bases. A year later, he was traded to the Braves for none other than Hank Aaron. That's a feather in your cap, I'd have to think.

Jack Voigt, 1994 Score #580

This has not been an ideal blogging week, but for the most part it's because I've been "good" busy. There was no post here last night because I left the house at 6:40 AM and came home at midnight. In between, I picked my sister up from work and we spent the evening in downtown Baltimore to celebrate her birthday...which was actually last month, but I did give her the concert tickets on the actual day. Anyway, we had dinner at the California Tortilla across the street from Oriole Park, and then wandered down to Rams Head Live in the Inner Harbor for the Jack's Mannequin show. I'd never been to Rams Head, but it's a great little venue. There's a small stage on the ground level, and two levels of balconies, and of course, a handful of bars situated around the premises. Liz and I promptly staked out a table on the middle level, because a) there were bunches of teen-aged girls all over the stage floor, and that's not really our scene and 2) we're weary twentysomethings who worked all day and just wanted to sit down. Them's the facts.

The opening act was Erin McCarley, a talented singer/songwriter who confided in us that she was still stretching out her legs after a seven-hour bus trip from Syracuse. That made me feel a bit better about my commute. I wasn't familiar with her music, but apparently her song "Love, Save the Empty" is currently on VH1's Top 20 Music Countdown. She also did a pretty strong cover of the Suzanne Vega hit "Tom's Diner", although she sardonically noted that that would probably be the song from her set that most of us would want to have, and it was the only one not on her album.

Next was Matt Nathanson, whose music you might have heard on Scrubs and elsewhere. He's absolutely hilarious live. Among other things, he told us that he hailed from San Francisco - "the Baltimore of California", read racy passages from a romance novel, ranted about 24-7 cable news being "the worst thing that ever happened to the country" because of around-the-clock coverage of some bad bootleg of an awful John Mayer song (he's not a fan), and broke into impromptu covers of Enrique Iglesias' "Escape" and Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl". Oh, and he played some nifty music as well.

Finally, after a half-hour wait (it was nearly 10 PM and us old fogies were getting antsy), Jack's Mannequin took the stage. They're one of my sister's favorite groups, and lead singer Andrew McMahon has been affiliated with about a half-dozen other groups that she likes, so this gift was a pretty safe bet. I like all four of their songs that I've heard, so naturally they only played one of them ("Kill the Messenger") during the set. But the rest of their songs were great, even if I didn't get that extra thrill from hearing something familiar. One of the most entertaining things for me was just watching the other people on the balcony, most of them much bigger fans than I. There were the young frat-guy types who were singing along to every song and practically climbing the railing (and each other) in in their euphoria. Or the middle-aged woman who spent the entire concert dancing like she was alone in her living room. I was in awe of the young female bartender who had to squeeze by her every couple minutes - and managed to do it without once making physical contact. I also took notice as my sister clapped delightedly during the introductions of several featured songs. She's not the climb the railing type, you know. The evening even had a great closing note for me - the last song of the encore was "La La Lie", another of the few songs I already knew.

Oh, I almost forgot! Making small talk between songs, McMahon mentioned that he and the band had spent a few days soaking in the full Baltimore experience (he didn't mention whether that included Tuesday's water main break a few streets over). He and the rest of Jack's Mannequin were in attendance at Tuesday night's Orioles-Angels game. The mere mention of it elicited a loud cheer from the crowd, and he quipped that we "must not be fans, since they lost". Of course, it would be hard to root for the O's if you weren't prepared for losses, but that's neither here nor there. McMahon mocked some of his fellow musicians for sitting in the ritzy seats while he and a few bandmates sat "with the crowd", for the more authentic feel. As a result, he ended up appearing on the JumboTron, which he described as a legitimate thrill.

I bet you didn't think I'd be able to tie the Orioles into this half-cocked concert review, huh?

Walter Young, 2006 Topps Opening Day #146

I'm burning the midnight oil for this post, because my new workout regimen took priority. After weeks of dithering, I finally bought Nintendo's Wii Fit over the weekend. After all, I'm 26 and I haven't gotten regular exercise since I stopped running track in high school nearly a decade ago. I'm going to start paying attention to the warning signs...like tweaking a muscle in my back when I bend down to pick up one of the cats. It's a slippery slope, and I'd like to whip myself into better shape before I end up looking like ol' Walter Young there. Because I'm some sort of glutton for punishment, I do occasionally write at other locales on the Web, and it just so happens that I gabbed at further length about my first impressions of Wii Fit over at Crunchable. Check it out while I collapse into bed.

Rodrigo Lopez, 2003 Upper Deck Game Face #16

Multiple-choice snappy remarks.

a) If this is Rodrigo Lopez's game face, I would recommend returning it to the store and exchanging it for a new one.

b) Is this photo indicative of the rest of the "Game Face" set? I never even heard of such a set, and judging from this card, there's a good reason for that.

c) Is that game face...or "game face"? *winks suggestively*

d) Rejected name for this set: 2003 Upper Deck Dropped A Frozen Ham On My Foot Face.

Mike Mussina, 1999 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion #96G

Last night, my dad and I took our second April trip to Camden Yards. Although we didn't root the Birds to victory over the Rangers, the game had a much more exciting finish than I ever would have expected. Mark Hendrickson did his best impression of a batting practice pitcher, allowing four home runs, including a leadoff shot in each of the first three innings and two longballs to Oriole Killer Ian Kinsler. He gave way to long reliever Brian Bass in the fifth inning with a runner on third, one out, and a 6-1 deficit. All that Bass did was twirl three and two-thirds scoreless innings. He walked one, allowed one hit, and struck out four. He defended his position like a pro, picking a runner off of first and snagging two consecutive comebackers and completing the throws to first for the putout. (When you've been treated to the antics of Daniel Cabrera and company in recent years, you learn to appreciate pitchers who field their position.)

The O's looked lethargic on offense all night, with Ty Wigginton seeming to provide all of the fireworks. Off to a slow start this year, he showed signs of life with an RBI single and a solo home run, the latter of which I sort of called. As he stepped to the plate, I saw that he was homerless on the year and told my father that he was due, "not that it would do us much good". Moments later, he deposited a Scott Feldman pitch into the Texas bullpen. Then again, I also called a Luke Scott two-run homer to right that ended up as a routine fly ball to left, so I'm not getting too full of myself.

In the top of the ninth, I got up to go to the bathroom and my father said that we might as well leave (it was 6-2 Rangers at that time). Trying to hold onto my diehard cred, I told him that we might as well hang in there. Of course, then I remembered who was due up in the bottom of the ninth:

Gregg ZAUN (0-2, BB, .110 AVG)
Lou Montanez (0-1, .091 AVG)
Cesar Izturis (1-for-3, .218 AVG)

So I told my pop that we probably should head for the exit after all. We were walking past the bullpen picnic area (just above and to the right of Mike Mussina in the above photo, gold-embossed though it may be) as ZAUN hit another weak grounder but reached second safely thanks to a poor Elvis Andrus throw. An enthusiastic crowd had already congregated in the picnic area, so we elbowed our way in to watch the potential rally amidst the masses. To our right, Jim Hunter and Rick Dempsey sat under the MASN canopy, waiting patiently to deliver the postgame report. Montanez (Birdland's favorite argument fodder) stepped to the plate, and the 27-year-old rookie dumped a single into right. Runners on the corners, and the buzz grew. Izturis hit a sinking liner to left field. I craned my neck, and at the last moment saw the ball elude the grasp of David Murphy. ZAUN scored, two runners were in scoring position, and the O's had turned over the lineup with nobody out! Brian Roberts hit a lazy fly ball to shallow right, and nobody advanced. Texas closer Frank Francisco was summoned to face Adam Jones. The young center fielder fought off a two-strike pitch into (guess where) right field, knocking in two runs. 6-5! Nick Markakis, already having extended his on-base streak to 26 straight games, represented the tying run. Those who remained from a surprising crowd of 41,000 were on their feet and roaring in anticipation. But there was to be no joy in Birdland...Nick the Stick struck out, and Aubrey Huff capped an 0-for-5 night with a fly out to left. So close, and yet so far.

In the end, it goes down as a loss. But that last half-inning will stay with me for a while.

Dan Graham, 1982 Donruss #455

I just picked up another great book by ESPN's resident baseball stathead, Rob Neyer: Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Lineups, which was published in 2002 and should be self-explanatory. He goes team-by-team and presents their all-time lineups: best lineup, second-best, best single season, best rookie season, best defense, worst defense, biggest busts, "used-to-be-great", and best nicknames. Because I was determined to be patient and didn't want to just skip ahead, I was relieved that the Baltimore Orioles came near the top in alphabetical order.

You can probably guess the all-time O's lineup. Rick Dempsey was at catcher, largely on the strength of his defense, and Bobby Grich stood at second between Eddie and Cal. (That's the only position that might change if Neyer drew up the lineup today. Brian Roberts still might not unseat the defensively superior Grich, but with his doubles power, speed, and on-base skills, it would be a tight race.) One of the eye-openers for me was the catcher for the All-Rookie team, Mr. Dan Graham.

Graham was before my time, as he was out of the majors by the time I was born. My family has never said a word about him, and he hasn't come up in any of the books that I've read about the Orioles. All I knew of him were the slightly goofy pictures on his handful of baseball cards, which have only come into my collection in the last year or two. It's to my detriment that I didn't have the curiosity to flip one of these cards over and read the back.

After going 0-for-4 with the Twins in his first two major league games in 1979, Dan was traded to the Birds for first baseman Tom Chism, a fellow 24-year-old rookie who went...0-for-3 in 1979. That's a funny sort of trade. Anyway, Graham got a fair amount of playing time in 1980 as Rick Dempsey's backup (285 plate appearances in 86 games), and really did play well. He hit .278 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI, placing him fourth on the team in longballs. It seemed that Earl Weaver had found another of his beloved platoons (the righty Dempsey hit .303 vs. LHP, while lefty Graham hit .293 vs. RHP). If nothing else, he had a little pop behind the plate when he wanted to give the Dipper a blow.

But the strike-shortened 1981 campaign was a disaster for Dan. He batted a paltry .176 and his production disappeared: a pair of home runs and eleven RBI in 142 at-bats. He had four errors and seven passed balls in 40 games behind the plate, so it's not like his defense was enough to keep him going. He spent all of 1982 in Rochester before packing his things and going home. Where have you gone, Dan Graham?

Vintage Fridays: Chuck Estrada, 1960 Topps #126

Chuck Estrada is a name that gets lost in the shuffle of Orioles lore. Among his contemporary "Baby Birds", the big name was Milt Pappas, but Steve Barber and Jerry Walker also loomed large. By the time the O's were finally ready for prime time, Wally Bunker, Dave McNally, and Jim Palmer were the fresh faces and homegrown arms. But for a few years, Estrada seemed primed to go toe to toe with them all.

In 1960, the righthander from California was 22 years old and was thrust into the rotation as a rookie. He responded by tying Jim Perry for the American League lead in wins (18) and allowing fewer hits per nine innings (7.0) than any other junior circuit pitcher. He completed 12 games and notched a 3.58 ERA. Together with Walker, Pappas, Barber, and Jack Fisher, he gave manager Paul Richards five promising moundsmen - all 22 or younger. Estrada was the best, making the All-Star Team and being named The Sporting News' Pitcher of the Year. Despite these accolades, he was a distant second behind O's shortstop Ron Hansen for Rookie of the Year honors. Baltimore first baseman Jim Gentile was the only other A.L. player to receive a vote. (Is it any wonder they jumped from 74 to 89 wins that year?)

Chuck defended his H/9 crown in 1961, lowering the mark to 6.8. At 15-9, he had less wins but a slightly better win percentage. His 3.69 ERA represented only a handful of extra runs allowed over an entire season, pretty remarkable considering that his 132 walks led the league. But the cracks in the armor appeared the next year. At 3.83, he had his first below-average ERA. Of greater concern were his league-worst 17 losses, against just 9 wins. Of course, his run support was lousy: the Birds scored three or less runs for him in 20 of his 33 starts, and tallied an average of 3.38 runs per start. Sadly, it would be his last healthy season.

Despite the popular conception that Paul Richards babied his young pitchers (Milt Pappas in particular), the stats tell a different story. In Estrada's case, he threw over 200 innings in his first three seasons, all before the age of 25. That's a total of 644 frames. Elbow injuries cropped up in 1963, and from that season until his retirement in 1967 he racked up only 120.1 innings. His earned run average climbed each year, from 4.60 to 9.41, and his career was over at 29.

So the next time you hear about how much more durable pitchers were in the good ol' days, just remember that there were still plenty of casualties.

Pete Incaviglia, 1997 Donruss Team Sets #45

For whatever reason, a lot of former Orioles popped up in my blog reading today. The best part is that I finally have an excuse to post the only card I own that depicts "Inky" in black and orange. Around the horn:

-Former Mets and Phillies star/human train wreck Lenny Dykstra, who fashions himself a financial guru, is pretty much a fraud and a bad person, as laid out in this Mike Fish article. Among his indiscretions, he inserted a bunch of fishy provisions into an already agreed-upon sale of one of his car wash/retail centers...provisions such as a five-year contract for Pete Incaviglia to serve as the general manager of the business. Friends in low places and all of that.

-Mercurial ex-O's (and Mets, and Marlins, and Mariners, and Yankees, and Giants, and Blue Jays) reliever Armando Benitez signed with the (drumroll please) Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League. The 36-year-old will be following in the footsteps of one-time Bears Ozzie and Jose Canseco, Jose Lima, and Rickey Henderson. Will his career trajectory bring him back to the major leagues? As lousy as pitching seems to be on average, I certainly wouldn't bet against it.

-Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, still working in baseball after more than a half-century, was named a special assistant to the commissioner. Essentially, he will serve as an advisor to everyone's favorite used car salesman. I'd like to imagine that every time Bud Selig runs one of his bright ideas by ol' #20, Robby will just stare him down in a menacing fashion until he goes back to the drawing board. Seriously...if you looked like this, would you dare cross one of the fiercest competitors of all time?

It was a surprisingly fun day, capped off by this mini-run of Birds in the news. Adam Eaton inexplicably taking a shutout into the eighth inning and the imminent goodness of a Friday never hurts.