Dave Van Gorder, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #467

Here's the circuitous route that I took to today's blog entry:

1. Check Baseball Reference for today's birthdays. See that Dave Van Gorder is turning 56.

2. Click on Van Gorder's B-R profile. I know that he was a catcher in the 1980s, but that's about it.

3. Okay, he was the Reds' second-round draft pick in 1978 out of USC. Didn't do a helluva lot in Cincy: 171 games, .538 OPS.

4. Finished his career in Baltimore in 1987. A dozen games, 24 plate appearances, 5-for-21 with a homer and three walks. I wonder what the story is with that home run...

5. Check Home Run Log. Look at that, he took Frank Viola deep in a tight game. I wonder if the O's came back to win?

6. Peruse box score for May 12, 1987 game vs. Twins. Holy crow. Mike Flanagan put the Orioles in a 4-0 hole in the third inning. Ray Knight's two-run shot an inning later cut the Minnesota lead in half, and Van Gorder's solo blast in the fifth made it a one-run game. Ken Dixon replaced Flanny in the sixth, and promptly set the pitchers' mound on fire and danced over the ashes. The Birds headed to the bottom of the eighth inning down 7-3. That's when it got really fun.

Van Gorder led off with a walk to chase Viola. Keith Atherton came out of the Twins bullpen and got two quick outs, but couldn't finish the job. Cal Ripken singled and Eddie Murray walked, causing manager Tom Kelly to pull Atherton in favor of closer Jeff Reardon. Fred Lynn welcomed Reardon to the game with a grand slam, finally allowing the O's to pull even at 7-7. Dixon set down the heart of the Twins' order in a perfect ninth, giving Baltimore the chance for a walkoff win.

Cal Ripken Sr. sent Jim Dwyer up to pinch hit for rookie Ken Gerhart, and the veteran specialist delivered a single. Second baseman Rick Burleson also hit safely, moving the winning run to scoring position for...Dave Van Gorder. Not so fast! Senior yanked the unlikely hero from the game, sending up regular starter Terry Kennedy. Kennedy flew out to center field, but Dwyer tagged and went to third. Another fly ball would end the game, so a third pinch hitter was summoned: Larry Sheets, batting for Alan Wiggins. Sheets promptly said "the hell with it" and crushed a three-run, walk-off home run off of Reardon. It was the third of Larry's career-high 31 bombs that year, and it gave the Orioles a wild 10-7 win.

To think that I discovered this buried gem of a game all on account of Dave Van Gorder's birthday.

Damon Buford, 1993 Score Select Rookies and Traded #149T

It's a good thing that Damon Buford's bat is clearly labeled "BUF" on the knob. There's no telling what would happen if he were to accidentally pick up one of Leo Gomez's bats. I hear that Leo had a hair-trigger temper, and was capable of beheading another man with the simple flick of a wrist. Better safe than sorry.

This is probably a good time to remind you that I am prone to flights of fancy, and that Leo Gomez is not in fact a violent psychopath.

Wady Almonte, 1997 Fleer Ultra #510 and 1997 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion #G510

This is the first ever Orioles Card "O" the Day Double Feature. Until I recently came across a large amount of 1997 Fleer Ultra, I had no idea that the Gold Medallion parallels featured completely different photos from their corresponding base cards. But it is so, as ably demonstrated here by Throwin' Wady Almonte and Swingin' Wady Almonte. Wady Almonte, Wady Almonte, Wady Almonte. There. Now I've said his name five times.

Wady Almonte.

Cal Ripken, Jr., 1995 Star Cal Ripken, Jr. #28

Let me count the ways this card could have used an editor:

1. The photo negative is reversed. Note the script on Cal's jersey, and the turned-around bird.
2. There should not be a comma after "Cal".
3. There should be a space between the second comma and "Jr".
4. Ideally you would avoid a picture with a blurry half-a-head in the foreground...especially when it looks like the Iron Man is checking out that person's rear end.
5. I would copy-edit the back of the card, but the first sentence features the following apostrophe abuse - "Oriole's". Ugh. I'm done.

Memorial Stadium, 2004 Maryland Lottery #41

I can only imagine the frenzy that surrounded the Orioles' first Opening Day in Baltimore nearly 60 years ago. Of course, I'm sure that the team's 2013 home opener will be a raucous scene as well. The Birds are coming off of their first winning season and playoff berth since 1997, after all. I'm happy to say that I will be there for my second straight opener and third overall. Today I hauled myself out of bed at 8:00 (on a Saturday...scandalous!) and drove down to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the team's Tag Day event. After careful consultation with my sister, I picked out a pair of seats in section 340, Upper Reserve, behind home plate, and locked us in for a 29-game partial season ticket plan. Of course, I'm hoping that the next time I'm looking out on the field from my seats, it's not 36 degrees with gusting winds as it was this morning. That's not baseball weather.

Vintage Fridays: Earl Weaver, 1970 Topps #148

What's better than a classic "Earl Weaver being a confrontational crank" story? How about a classic "Earl Weaver being a confrontational crank" story that features the great manager butting heads with former O's GM Lee MacPhail?

I owe a debt of gratitude to Camden Chat's j.q. higgins (if that IS his real name...) for unearthing this gem, which unfolded on this date back in 1981. The O's had been scheduled to play an exhibition game against the Royals a few days prior, and Earl had gone and gotten himself into an argument with the umpires over the lineup card. As he was wont to do, the Orioles skipper got so incensed that he pulled his team off of the field and forfeited the game. In stepped MacPhail, the American League President at the time, to levy a three-game suspension from Grapefruit League contests.

Yes, Earl even managed to get himself into hot water when the games didn't count.

There's a Sarasota Herald-Tribune article posted on the Google News Archive. I would recommend reading it just for the quotes. MacPhail is as even-handed as you would expect a league authority to be, but Weaver can't resist needling a higher authority. He threatens to treat his suspension as a "sit-out", a peaceful means of protesting the shabby work done by the A. L. prez and his staff. The money quote from Earl:

"[My sit-out] is in support more or less of President Reagan's program. He wants more productivity and wants us to eliminate stupidity, waste, bureaucratic uselessness, and red tape."

We miss you already, Earl.

Miguel Tejada, 2006 Topps Opening Day #99

Congratulations to Miguel Tejada, Pedro Strop, and the rest of 2013 World Baseball Classic-winning team from the Dominican Republic. The Dominicans went 8-0 in the WBC, capped by a 3-0 win over Puerto Rico in Tuesday night's final game. Miggi appeared in seven games, batting .316 (6-for-19). He also bailed out Strop in the finale, making a nifty falling-backwards catch on a foul pop down the left field line to strand two runners in the seventh inning. Pedro didn't need a whole lot of help during the WBC, as he allowed no runs on three hits in six and two-thirds innings. He was the winning pitcher in three of his six appearances, and struck out seven batters while walking none. So although Adam Jones and Team USA didn't make it to the Final Four, there was still significant O's representation at the end of it all.

Jack Voigt, 1995 Donruss Press Proof #327

Oh, mid-1990s Donruss. You're so precious, with your specially-stamped parallels of base cards. I guess we're just supposed to take your word for it that this Jack Voigt card was one of the very first 2,000 Jack Voigt cards to come tumbling off the printing press, since there's no authentication provided. Not even a serial number to be found. This isn't just any Jack Voigt card, it's a very limited and super-special Jack Voigt card, unlike the rest (give or take 1,999). We might as well operate under the honor system, because a card company would never manufacture scarcity to drive interest in its product, right?

Naturally, I type with tongue placed firmly in cheek. "Press Proofs" are incredibly tame when compared to the Monopoly Holder's short-printed base card variations and Internet-only, $100-a-pop Heritage update sets. Which reminds me: Nearly three months into 2013, I have not bought a single Topps retail product. I don't even really miss it. Well done, guys.

Zach Britton, 2011 Topps Diamond Duos #DD10

A lot has changed in the year-plus since Topps produced this card featuring two of the most notable rookie starting pitchers of the 2011 season. Most obviously, Michael Pineda was traded from the Mariners to the Yankees prior to the 2012 campaign, with one-time New York mega-prospect Jesus Montero going to Seattle. But it's also an example of how quickly a young pitcher's fortunes can change. Pineda sat out all of last year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, and the Yankees are hoping that he will be able to make his debut in pinstripes this coming May or June. Zach Britton also dealt with injuries in 2012, though his were less severe. A left shoulder impingement kept him off of the Orioles' roster until mid-July, and he looked rusty when he finally did return. In 11 starts and a single relief appearance with the O's, Zach posted a 5.07 ERA and walked 4.8 batters per 9 innings (up from 3.6 BB/9 in 2011).

The jury is still out on Pineda; shoulder injuries are lagging behind elbow problems as it relates to advances in surgical treatment and repair. But Britton still has a decent outlook for 2013. The overall improvement of the Baltimore rotation in 2012 has pushed the lefty into an all-out competition for the fifth and final starter's slot, but he's healthier than he was a year ago and (HUGE grain of salt alert) he's gotten good results in Grapefruit League action: only two earned runs allowed in eight and two-thirds innings so far, with a pair of walks and six strikeouts. As the rest of the baseball world expects the overachieving O's of 2012 to take a step back towards the pack, a resurgence by Zach Britton would do much to help them stay competitive.

Joe Orsulak, 1993 Fleer #549

Alright, I'm back after a very necessary sick day yesterday. Trust me when I tell you that I barely had the energy to take a shower. But now that I'm on the mend, I bring you Joe O and one of the dullest card designs known to man. Still, there is a kernel of goodness on this otherwise ho-hum card. As Joe Orsulak jogged back to the dugout from his defensive position, the photographer captured a larger scene reflected in Joe's mirrored sunglasses. You can see the infield grass and the dirt of the basepaths, as well as one of the other Orioles preceding Orsulak off of the field. It's far more interesting than the primary scene on the card.

Delino DeShields, 2001 Upper Deck Vintage #76

Was I the only one who never knew that Delino DeShields went by the nickname "Bop"? I don't remember ever hearing it during his career. But it was a name from Delino's childhood in East Seaford, Delaware. I can't seem to track down any more information about the significance of the moniker. Does anyone else have a clue?

Vintage Fridays: Mike Cuellar, 1975 SSPC #375

This is an outstanding photo. From the dusky sky in the background to the faraway grimace on an aging Mike Cuellar's face...that face. The lines are so numerous and so deep that you could probably count them to determine the veteran screwballer's age. You know, like the rings in a tree. Assuming that Mike didn't fudge the numbers when he left his native Cuba, he would have been 38 years old in this picture. It seems to me that most of today's players don't age quite so visibly. Of course, they have the time, money, and resources to take better physical care of themselves than players of Cuellar's era. Is it any wonder that Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz wear their years better than he did?

David Segui, 1993 Upper Deck #792

In my times of greatest need, I know that I can always turn to other card bloggers for inspiration. If the things that they inspire me to do are wildly impractical and unusual, all the better! In this case, we're talking Frankensets.

Put simply, a "Frankenset" is a card set that is pieced together from multiple years/brands/what have you, but still numbered sequentially. It's usually housed in a binder, because that's just the best way to organize and gawk at your cards, you know? The first example of a "Frankenset" I came across was Ben Henry's "The 792", which made an entirely new set out of spare parts from all of the Topps base sets of the 1980s, with one card for each number from 1-792. A few of my other favorite hobby bloggers, Night Owl and Cardboard Junkie Dave, have each put together 350-card Frankensets of Allen and Ginter minis. Night Owl also has a night card Frankenset, and now Dave has a 2000s Topps Heritage Frankenset. This is where I say, "Me too!". But I'm not content mooshing together a bunch of half-finished Topps sets. Oh, no.

I'm making a 792-card Orioles Frankenset.

I've been wanting to put my O's collection in a binder (or binders...there's a lot of them, you know) for quite some time, but I couldn't decide how to sort them. If I put them in order by year and set, I'd drive myself to madness trying to rearrange them any time a new card came home with me. Instead, I'm just going to show off a hodgepodge cross-section. All years, all brands, everything is on the table. It's going to be murder winnowing down the low-numbered cards, but I look forward to the challenge. Some decisions have already been made; David Segui will anchor the set, as this card is my only #792. As far as the odds of completing the set, a quick check of my database shows me that every number from 1 through 500 - and most cards from 501 through 700 - are already covered. It gets a bit hairier in the 700s. I'll seek out those numbers that are missing. And if any card number doesn't match up to any Oriole, I've got a potential workaround. I'll seek out serial-numbered parallels or inserts where the serial number matches the missing card number.

Though I've got the groundwork laid, I won't actually be compiling the Frankenset just yet. I still have sorting and consolidating to do for my collection as a whole, and I'm really trying to stick to one thing at a time right now. But for the short term, I've got the idea, and I've gotten at least one blog post out of it. That's a start.

Will Clark, 1999 Donruss #37

It's Will Clark's 48th birthday...for five more minutes, at least here in the Eastern United States. Since I'm pressed for time, I'll leave you with this fact: On July 20, 2000, Will the Thrill hit home runs in both ends of a doubleheader against Boston. In the first game, his first-inning grand slam off of Ramon Martinez briefly gave the O's a 4-2 lead. (They lost 11-7, because Sidney Ponson was, is, and will forever be the worst.) In the nightcap, Clark gave Baltimore some insurance with a solo shot leading off the fourth inning. That made the score 7-3, and the Birds salvaged a split with a 9-4 final.

Ken Singleton, 1984 Donruss #610

I don't like to repost cards that I've already featured, but the first time that I posted Ken Singleton's 1984 Donruss card, it wasn't autographed. This is a new-to-me copy of the card, courtesy of longtime reader and occasional trade partner Alan Diddle. Back in January, we arranged a swap: this Mike Devereaux card for ol' Singy here. I'm happy to add another O's autograph to my somewhat-leisurely collection. I don't put a lot of effort into gathering signed cards, but when the opportunity arises, why not? If someone is making a public appearance, or I get a trade offer, or (and this has happened exactly once) I pull one from a pack, I'll welcome that John Hancock Special into the fold. At present, I've got 32 O's autographs on cardboard, which is more than I would have guessed! Imagine how many more I'd have if I were trying hard. But there are only so many hours in the day, you know? Anyhow, thanks, Alan!

Jim Palmer, 2005 Donruss Throwback Threads Century Stars #CS-17

On this date in Orioles history, one of the most entertaining Spring Training storylines reached its sad (though predictable) conclusion. On March 11, 1991, Jim Palmer pitched in a Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox. The righthander was 46 years old and was attempting a comeback seven seasons after the O's released him and prompted his retirement. Moreover, he had just been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame the previous summer. As exciting as all of this was, it just wasn't meant to be. "Cakes" was touched for five hits and two runs in two innings, and pulled a hamstring to boot. He officially re-retired the following day. Any Baltimore fans who might have been dreaming of a rotation that included Jim Palmer, Ben McDonald, and Mike Mussina had their hopes dashed.

Speaking of Mussina, I think it would be a real kick if he tried this sort of thing. He's only been retired for four years, going on five, and unlike Palmer, Moose went out on top with a 20-win season in 2008. Mike is only 44, so maybe he'd have a little more in the tank than Jim did in his last-gasp try. It's too late in the spring to whip a middle-aged pitcher into form by Opening Day, but maybe the Birds could count on him as a mid-season addition like the Yankees did with Andy Pettitte last year. After the Orioles won 93 games and narrowly missed the ALCS in 2012, I'm willing to believe in anything.

Brad Pennington, 1994 Leaf #177

I am reasonably sure that Brad Pennington suffered a simultaneous brain aneurysm and hiatal hernia while in the process of delivering this pitch. Maybe that would explain the 25 walks he issued in 33 innings for the 1993 Orioles.

Fernando Valenzuela, 1993 Leaf #472

Adam Jones and the rest of Team USA had a rough debut at the World Baseball Classic last night, falling to Team Mexico by a 5-2 score. Nobody on the American side did much hitting against Yovani Gallardo and the Mexican bullpen, all of whom are being coached by former Oriole Fernando Valenzuela. Jones went 0-for-3 with a walk in his first-ever WBC game. Fortunately, the U.S. has an immediate shot at redemption, as they face Team Italy (featuring ex-O's farmhand Mike Costanzo) at 9:00 this evening.

Vintage Fridays: Boog Powell, 1964 Topps #89

Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to yesterday's blog post. I wasn't fishing for compliments, but you were all very forthcoming with them anyhow. I can certainly identify with GCA's sentiment; I know that when I read something that I enjoy, I don't often go out of my way to comment if I don't have much more to say than "nice job". I just wanted to make sure that I was still giving you something that you wanted to read. I'll do my best to keep it that way.

Moving on, I think there's no finer way to start the weekend than by checking in with Boog Powell. I once read an anecdote about the Orioles' scouting and signing of Boog as an amateur. According to Rob Neyer and Eddie Epstein in Baseball Dynasties: The Greatest Teams of All Time, both the Orioles and the Cardinals were very interested in procuring the services of the teenaged Booger back in 1959. Of course, baseball scouts and executives have always looked to cut costs wherever they can, especially in the days before the players' union. So the scouts for the O's and Redbirds made a gentleman's agreement to avoid a bidding war for Boog's rights. Instead, they settled matters the old-fashioned way...with a coin flip. Baltimore came out on top, and probably resisted the Cards' pleas of "best two outta three!". When building a winning team, it doesn't hurt to be lucky.

Chris Sabo, 1995 Topps #137

Folks, it's time for some real talk. I've noticed a near-total lack of feedback in the form of comments on this blog in recent weeks. At the same time, I've felt my own interest in writing these posts start to flag. I've been updating Orioles Card "O" the Day on a near-daily basis for five years, two months, and six days, and that comes out to 1,874 blog entries in all. I'm sure that I still have things to say about the O's, and the cards on which they're featured, but more often than not it seems like I'm forcing myself to carve out a few minutes just to pluck a card out of the box or binder, scan it, say the bare minimum, and be done with it. It's somewhat disappointing, like Chris Sabo without his customary Rec Specs. That's not really providing any benefit to me or to you, and considering how lackluster my recent writing feels to me,  certainly don't blame anyone else for not having any comments to add. So I'd appreciate it if you could answer a few questions for me:

-What type of posts would you like to read on this blog? Shorter-form player biographies, oddball tangents about unusual card designs or photos, snapshots of a single Orioles game from the past, themed posts (i.e. the history of the team's top draft picks, or the best Maryland-born players?), or maybe something else?

-How much is your enjoyment of the blog tied to the daily updates? Would you rather read one or two longer posts per week, or quick tidbits every day?

-Any other suggestions? (Cosmetic makeovers, additional widgets, a transition to 100% dinosaur-related content...speak now or forever hold your peace.)

Jose Leon, 2003 Upper Deck #3

Upper Deck was pretty fast and loose with the word "Star". Jose Leon was a former 22nd-round draft pick of the Cardinals who was traded to the Orioles in mid-2000 for Will Clark. He wound up playing 88 games for the O's from 2002 through 2004, batting .225/.262/.321 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI. He was last active in 2009, when he played 51 games for the Independent Camden Riversharks and 15 games for the Mexican League's Olmecas de Tabasco. Of course, Jose had his moments. In 2006, he hit 17 homers with a 1.096 OPS in only 47 games for another Mexican team, Piratas de Campeche. Somehow I get the sense that this wasn't what Upper Deck had in mind, though.

Eli Whiteside, 2003 Bowman #323

It's been a while since I've posted a player's card just so I could make a lame wordplay on his name. But there's snow in the forecast for this evening and tomorrow morning, and I desperately want a snow day. Let's take a walk on the Whiteside.

Groan. Go ahead and toss your tomatoes.

Here in Baltimore, we've spent the entire winter being teased by Mother Nature. Nothing more than an inch of the good stuff this season, and that's just enough to wreak havoc on my morning commute. Last week, we had the worst of both worlds...rain AND temperatures in the 30s. Are you kidding me? It's time to straighten up and fly right, you mystical weather forces. I expect to wake up at 6:00 AM, see nothing but blinding white, and be able to turn over and go right back to sleep. Wednesday, March 6 shall be a day for flannels, snowmen, hot drinks, Netflix...and yes, organizing cards. Always with the organizing cards. Is that so much to ask?

Cal Ripken, Jr., 1992 Donruss Diamond Kings #DK 5

I'm experiencing something of a love-hate relationship with my favorite hobby right about now. For the past 10 months, I've been sitting on a massive backlog of cards that need to be sorted, catalogued, and then consolidated with the rest of my collection. I've been chipping away at it in bits and bites all along, but I've finally gotten sufficiently tired of the chaos and clutter and picked up the pace. That's led to several frustrating moments, in which I think I've got all of the cards for a particular year organized and logged into my personal card database, only to discover an orphaned stack of cards in a previously-overlooked box. Just when the finish line starts looking closer, it gets pushed back another quarter-mile. Ultimately, it's most frustrating because I know that I'm the one responsible for letting it all get so muddled in the first place. There's no buck to pass.

Similarly, after weeks and weeks of procrastination, I found myself putting the finishing touches on the last post for my 1965 Topps blog last Friday. After nearly five and a half years, I'm more than ready to put that particular blog to rest...and probably launch a new one, because I haven't learned my lesson. So prior to publishing the final card, I decided to go to my checklist page/table of contents and clean up the hyperlinks. In doing so, I discovered a full dozen cards that I never scanned, wrote up, and posted. Chalk up another win for chaos and absent-mindedness.

So, we regroup, and set a new goal, and publish it here so that you can point and laugh when it all goes sideways again. Let it be decreed: by the end of March, THIS March, I will have my collection completely organized. That goes double for the O's team collection...any new Orioles I've gotten since...oh, let's say 2009 have not been properly sorted along with the rest of my cardboard birds. Moreover, I will finish posting the Dirty Dozen holdouts on The Great 1965 Topps Project. Any time I start to dawdle, or lose hope, I'll just let the stern, off-center face of Cal Ripken, Jr. be my motivation.

David Hernandez, 2010 Topps Gold #45

Adam Jones has left Orioles camp to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. None of his current teammates will be there - Matt Wieters and Jim Johnson declined their own invitations - but he'll still be rubbing elbows with some familiar faces. Yesterday former O's pitcher David Hernandez (now with the Diamondbacks) was named to the American team as an injury replacement for Indians closer Chris Perez. The right-hander is coming off an excellent season in which he put up a 2.50 ERA in 72 games out of the Arizona bullpen and struck out 98 men in 68.1 innings. So if you were holding off on supporting Team USA, maybe this will give you that last push you needed.

Mike Mussina, 1994 Upper Deck #102

I usually don't post scans of card backs, but this one has a great view of Camden Yards that you don't often see on cards. As Mike Mussina rushes to cover first base, we can see straight through to the center field picnic area and the double-deck bullpens. The sign behind Moose is advertising the Giant Foods supermarket chain, and from the loose way that the Maryland flag hangs, it's apparently a windless day. Just looking at this photo makes me wish I was sitting in the bleachers along Eutaw Street.

Vintage Fridays: Grant Jackson, 1974 Topps #68

Some stray observations:

1. Fashion-wise, today's ballplayers are missing out. When was the last time you saw a card with a player who had to flatten his hair to make his cap fit? I've always imagined that when Grant Jackson or Bake McBride (or yes, Oscar Gamble) took off their caps, their hair would spring back into shape. That might not be entirely true, but it's certainly one way in which life should be more like cartoons.

2. This is not even remotely the most badly miscut card in my half-completed 1974 Topps set. On a few, you can read a mismatched team name and position at the bottom. When you're grabbing from the dime boxes, there are no regrets.

3. Over Grant's right shoulder, there is an ad for milk. Over his left shoulder, there is an ad for Yoo-Hoo. That's kind of like an ad for Angus beef being juxtaposed with an ad for Spam.

Jay Gibbons, 2003 Fleer Tradition #252

I haven't posted a Jay Gibbons card since last October. Since I don't know what this blog would be without Jay Gibbons, here's the former outfielder wearing sunglasses on top of his cap and an especially doofy expression on his face. This has been Jay Gibbons card number 12 on Orioles Card O' the Day. In conclusion, Jay Gibbons.

Roger Marquis, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #276

Who is Roger Marquis? He's the first of the true "Cup of Coffee" Orioles, those hearty men whose major league experience lasted all of one game appearance. "Noonie" was a Holyoke, MA native who signed with the O's out of high school at about the same time that the club inked young Brooks Robinson to a deal. With Paul Richards going full-tilt on a rebuild, Marquis became one of 54 players to get a look during the 1955 season. The 18-year-old entered the September 25 game against the Senators in the bottom of the eighth inning, replacing Angelo Dagres (himself only 20) in right field. Washington went 1-2-3 and no ball left the infield, so Roger's glove went untested. In the top of the ninth, he led off against reliever Bob Chakales and grounded out to shortstop. He was replaced in the field by Cal Abrams for the bottom of the ninth, and his place in the baseball encyclopedia was etched in stone. After batting .225 and slugging .308 in the glamorous Class D locales of Thomson, GA and Paris, TX (he also took the mound for six games with Thomson), Marquis retired from baseball at age 20. Don't feel too badly for Noonie, though. He returned home to Holyoke and eventually started an oil business that he was able to sell in the 1980s. He passed away at age 67 in 2004, survived by his wife Alice, two sons, and four grandchildren.

If you're curious about the rest of the Orioles' half-dozen one-game wonders, here's an up-to-date list. If I keep at this silly blog long enough, I will probably feature each and every one of them:

• Roger Marquis, RF: September 25, 1955
• Gordie Sundin, P: September 19, 1956
• George Werley, P: September 29, 1956
• Tom Patton, C: April 30, 1957
• Jeff Rineer, P: September 30, 1979
• Radhames Dykhoff, P: June 7, 1998

Eddie Murray, 2005 Upper Deck All-Star Classics #83

This is a great card, largely because of one of the best late-career photos of Eddie Murray that I've seen. In his road grays, #33 literally stands in the twilight and eases into that familiar crouch one more time. His face is hooded in shadow, but you can still see the laser-focused gaze of his eye toward the pitcher. You almost pity the unseen opponent of Eddie Murray.

Gregg Olson, 1991 Studio #8

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

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

B. J. Surhoff, 1997 Collector's Choice #43

I've never really given it all that much thought, but I suppose it's not common for a baseball card action photo to depict its subject making eye contact with the camera. Now that I've seen B. J. Surhoff's icy stare boring holes straight through me, I think I know why. I didn't mean anything by it, B. J.! Don't hurt me!

Eric Davis, 1997 Pinnacle New #143

It was only once he'd attempted to use the so-called "invisible bat" in a game situation that Eric Davis realized the awful truth: he'd been had. $300, down the drain. He suspected that he'd never see the traveling salesman again.

Vintage Fridays: Don Stanhouse, 1979 Topps #119

If it seems like I mention High Heat Stats frequently on this blog, that's only because it's a fascinating source of baseball analysis and trivia. The latest factoid that caught my eye came from this post by Raphy (presumably not the former O's first baseman). There have been 19 players in major league history whose only career home run was a grand slam. Only one of those players performed the feat as an Oriole: utility infielder Frank Baker, who put the cherry on top of a Memorial Stadium record-setting 18-4 rout of the Indians on September 28, 1973 with his bases-loaded clout off of future Birds' pitching coach Dick Bosman. Baker actually had a team-high 6 RBI off of the team's bench, including the only Baltimore home run that day. He was only in the game because of a first-inning injury to starting second baseman Bobby Grich. If you check out the box score, you'll also see a great stat line from Andy Etchebarren: 4-for-4 with a walk, 3 runs scored, 3 RBI, and a caught stealing! Even better, it seems that Cleveland pitcher Milt Wilcox had Etch picked off, but the unibrowed catcher reached second base safely when Tribe first baseman Chris Chambliss committed an error.

There have also been a trio of one-time Orioles pitchers who drove in four on their lone career homer: Kent Mercker (as a Cardinal), Erv Palica (as a Dodger), and...Don Stanhouse (as an Expo). Yep. Good ol' Fullpack victimized veteran Cubs starter Bill Bonham on July 6, 1977, and naturally he did it at Wrigley Field. I guess the wind was blowing out. Of note: Chicago won anyway, 8-6. One of the runners who scored on Stanhouse's four-bagger was rookie Andre Dawson, playing in his 88th career game. There's always something new and surprising to be found in an old box score, don't you know.

Brady Anderson, 1998 Stadium Club #188

Brady Anderson just keeps climbing the ladder in the Orioles organization. It was only 13 months ago that the former outfielder was named (deep breath) Special Assistant to the Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations. This past Tuesday, he was promoted to Vice President of Baseball Operations. In addition to having a much more concise job title, Brady will have a "new and expanded role" per front office honcho Dan Duquette. No specifics yet, but the expectation is that he will still be dealing primarily in player relations and development as well as physical training. When I was watching Brady Anderson do his thing in the O's outfield back in the 1990s, I don't think I ever imagined that he would have a significant role in the team's front office some day. At any rate, better him than Mike Pagliarulo.

Brian Roberts, 2006 Topps Heritage #190

Hooray, baseball is back!

Well, in a manner of speaking. The Orioles had their first set of intrasquad exhibitions today, or as I phrased it to my girlfriend, they decided to play with themselves. Ahem. Anyway, despite the fact that none of this counts, not even for Grapefruit League standings, I couldn't help but carefully read the flurry of tweets from O's beat reporters. I drank in the names, so familiar: Jake Arrieta. Zach Britton. Brian Matusz. Chris Davis. Nate McLouth. Brian Roberts.

Though this was little more than a glorified practice session, it was especially encouraging to learn that Roberts began the spring on a positive note, stroking a single off of Britton to score McLouth. Last year, the post-concussed second baseman didn't play in a single preseason game. He made it back to the field at Camden Yards in mid-June, and saw action in 17 games before hip surgery ended his season prematurely and unsatisfyingly. He's still no sure bet to stay healthy, and even beyond that, there's bound to be some rust. You won't find many people bullish on the potential performance of a 35-year-old infielder who has totaled 115 games in the past three seasons, but even a long-shot comeback story has to start somewhere.

Pat Hentgen, 2003 Topps Total #661

A tip of the hat to Craig "Flip Flop Fly Ball" Robinson, who noted on his Tumblr that there have been only nine players in MLB history who played for all three "Birdy Teams": Orioles, Blue Jays, and Cardinals. Those players are Alberto Castillo (the catcher, not the pitcher), Pat Hentgen, Cesar Izturis, Paul Kilgus, Mike Morgan, Corey Patterson, Nerio Rodriguez, Mike Timlin, and Tom Underwood. At present, Hentgen is the only player with the distinction of suiting up for only those three teams. Eat your heart out, Mark Fidrych.

Adam Jones, 2012 Topps 1987 Mini #TM-29

There are numerous reasons why I am glad that Adam Jones will be an Oriole for the foreseeable future. Reason number 76 is the prank that he pulled on Kevin Gausman last week. Gausman was the Orioles' first-round draft pick last year, a pitcher out of Louisiana State University. The young righthander has a reputation as something of a flake, thanks in part to his game-day superstition of eating four Hostess powdered mini-donuts after each inning. So Jones welcomed Gausman to Spring Training by filling the youngster's locker with 1,500 powdered donuts. Camden Chat has the photo evidence. It takes a true team leader to keep his teammates supplied with sugary baked goods.

Jim Palmer, 2013 PunkRockPaint Old Hoss 100 #89

I can't help myself. I'm going to share another card from the Old Hoss 100, because it features one of the meaner comments in the set. Mean, but still funny. Hopefully Jim Palmer isn't the litigious type.

Oh, nuts.

Brooks Robinson, 2013 PunkRockPaint Old Hoss 100 #43

Yesterday my very own complete factory set of the Old Hoss 100 arrived. As I was flipping through the cards, it dawned on me that my very first purchase of a 2013 card product wasn't Topps, but the hard work of a very talented fellow blogger. That makes me quite happy, especially since it's a legitimately well-done and entertaining set.

A little background: PunkRockPaint is the sporadically-updated blog of Travis, a Padres fan and an excellent artist. Old Hoss refers to the parody Twitter account of Charley "Old Hoss" Radbourn, the Hall of Fame 19th-century pitcher who was famous for his 59-win, 73-complete-game 1884 season with the Providence Grays. Hoss was also a famed raconteur, and the @OldHossRadbourn account plays it to the hilt. He's usually scoffing at the sissification of the modern game, making offhand references to his scores of illegitimate children, or skewering sports media coverage. In that vein, "Hoss" spent last December commenting upon ESPN's Hall of 100, a list of the purported 100 greatest baseball players of all time. Travis was inspired to create a limited-edition set of cards featuring those 100 players, with "Radbourn"'s comments on the card backs. As you can see, it's a beautiful sepia-toned set, similar in size and presentation to the old tobacco cards. It doesn't even suffer for the Photoshopping that removes or distorts cap and jersey insignias, in my opinion.

I'm glad that I was quick enough on the draw to snap up a set, as they're sold out now. The box that the cards were packed in is serial numbered 8 of 84. It promises a complete 100-card set plus 5 "rarities". The rarities include randomly-inserted and serial-numbered cards of ESPN's 25 honorable mentions, as well as alternate photo parallel cards of base set players. My rarities were #104 Dave Winfield, #106 Whitey Ford, #110 Harry Heilmann, and #122 Edgar Martinez (each numbered to 10), as well as #72 Bert Blyleven modeling his "I Love to Fart" shirt (numbered to 5). Glorious.

There are four Orioles in the set. In addition to the Brooks Robinson card I'm showing here, you've got #31 Cal Ripken, Jr., #65 Eddie Murray, and #89 Jim Palmer. (Frank Robinson is pictured with the Cincinnati Reds.) I'm glad to add them to my team collection. I'll let Old Hoss have the final word:

Vintage Fridays: Merv Rettenmund, 1973 Topps #56

As of today, full-squad Spring Training officially begins for the Orioles down in Sarasota, Florida. Of course, nearly all of the position players reported early this year. It's almost as if they're more eager to play in 2013 after the excitement of a 93-win season in which they fell two runs short of the American League Championship Series. Funny how that works.

Though it's starting to look like the cost of airfare is obscene enough to keep me away from Ed Smith Stadium this time around, I can still look at cards like this one and think warm thoughts. As is the case with several Topps cards from the 1970s, Merv Rettenmund's 1973 Topps photo shows him taking his practice cuts down south at Spring Training. Since he's wearing his road grays, I'm not sure that the Birds are being photographed at their old base of operations in Miami. But I see a blurry palm tree in the background, and a bunch of black and orange gear scattered in the grass, and both things make me happy in a simple way. Sometimes that's all that it takes.

Brian Holton, 1990 Score #177

In a quick search of my archives, I discovered that I've already commented on these dorky black turtlenecks twice before. I just can't help myself. The only thing that looks worse than a plain black turtleneck on a ballplayer is a turtleneck with thin orange stripes around the neck. I guess I should just be grateful that the Orioles didn't pair the striped turtleneck with the 1970s-1980s era polyester uniform pants and striped elastic waistbands. The O's came perilously close to being engulfed by horizontal stripes. The horror...

Vladimir Guerrero, 2011 Topps Diamond Duos #DD-23

These Diamond Duos cards aren't bad by recent Topps insert standards. Some of them fall flat for me - matching Brooks Robinson with Ryan Zimmerman is borderline blasphemy - but when they hit on a good match, it works. Here you've got Big Papi and Vlad, a pair of American League East designated hitters from the Dominican Republic who have a shared legacy of beating the ever-loving snot out of the ball. Of course, Guerrero was just about cooked by the time he landed in Baltimore in 2011. I was surprised to learn that Vlad is just nine months older than Ortiz, who still seems to have something left in the tank. If I believed in jinxes, I'd start talking up Papi's chances of bouncing back from injury in 2013 and leading the Red Sox out of the cellar...but that's not my style. No sir.

Ted Gray, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #162

Since I wrote a bit about journeymen on Friday, I thought I'd share this fun post by Doug over at the High Heat Stats blog. He searched Baseball Reference to find the players who did the most team-jumping over short spans of time. There were a few ex-Orioles on the various lists: Jose Bautista, Bruce Chen, Jorge Julio, Todd Zeile, Hoot Evers, Eddie Robinson, and Ted Gray. Gray is something of an interesting case, a World War II vet and an early-1950s mainstay of the Tigers pitching staffs. His ERA+ got steadily worse throughout his career, falling from a high of 119 (3.51 ERA) in his sophomore season of 1949 all the way down to 70 (5.38 ERA) in 1954. So after spending parts of his first eight big league seasons in Detroit, Ted was traded to the White Sox in a six-player deal that also involved future O's Walt Dropo and Bob Nieman. From there, here's the sad transaction history of 1955 for Ted Gray:

May 23, 1955: Released by the Chicago White Sox.

June 15, 1955: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cleveland Indians.

June 29, 1955: Released by the Cleveland Indians.

June 30, 1955: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Yankees.

July 20, 1955: Released by the New York Yankees.

July 26, 1955: Signed as a Free Agent with the Baltimore Orioles.

September 17, 1955: Released by the Baltimore Orioles.

When the Orioles cut Ted loose, it definitively brought an end to the 30-year-old's career. While pitching for half of the clubs in the American League that season, the southpaw had only racked up 14 appearances totalling 23.1 innings. He gave up 38 hits, 15 walks, and 30 runs (25 earned), struck out only 11 men, and served up 4 home runs. The final tallies: a 9.64 ERA and a 42 ERA+ (again, 100 ERA+ is league-average). Somewhere in that mess, he managed to win a single game for the Orioles, tossing a scoreless ninth inning against the crummy Athletics and benefiting from a walkoff two-run double by Bob Hale.

Now that's how you rack up some mileage in style.

Paul Winterling, 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BCP173

Nope, never heard of him.

But that's my fault, not Paul Winterling's. I can look at the back of the card, and see that he's a local boy: McDonogh High School and Johns Hopkins University. Signed with the O's as an undrafted free agent in 2005, and batted .231/319/.393 in four minor league seasons, topping out at high-A Frederick. Bowman's Scouting Report notes that Paul "aspires to coaching", and indeed he is apparently available to train folks in baseball in the Baltimore area. Call now!

Mike Mussina, 1993 Studio #202

One exciting outcome from my weekend of sorting miscellaneous 1993 cards was the discovery that I nearly have a complete set of 1993 Studio, one of my favorite card sets of all time. I only need 18 more cards to finish it off - I've put the rest in a binder and everything. So if you have the inclination, go check out my 1993 Studio want list here. Drop me a line and maybe we can make a deal!