Wayne Gross, 1986 Fleer #276

Things I never would have guessed before checking Baseball Reference: in 1984, Wayne Gross ranked third among Oriole players with 22 home runs and 64 RBI, trailing only the exalted duo of Murray and Ripken. Though he batted just .216, his 68 walks boosted his on-base percentage to a healthy .346. He also slugged .442, giving him an OPS+ of 120 for the year. His 22 homers matched a career high set in 1977, his rookie season with Oakland. During that '77 campaign, Wayne made his only All-Star team. That one was a surprise to me, too.

Adam Loewen, 2004 Donruss Diamond Kings #88

The Phillies have recalled Adam Loewen from AAA Lehigh Valley...yes, that Adam Loewen. It's hard to keep track of these things, but he's a pitcher again, albeit a reliever now. If the lefty gets into a game with Philadelphia, he'll have one of the more unusual career stat sheets in MLB history. The O's drafted him fourth overall in 2002, and his Baltimore tenure was marred by injuries and a metric ton of walks. In parts of three seasons (2006-2008), he was 8-8 with a 5.38 ERA and 5.8 walks per nine innings. He converted to the outfield and first base to preserve his arm, and signed with the Blue Jays. He got a cup of coffee with Toronto in 2011, batting .188/.297/.313 in 14 games with a single home run...off of Tommy Hunter of the Orioles, of course. He's been kicking around the minors ever since, and was able to pitch without pain in the Venezuelan winter league following the 2013 season. The Phillies signed him, and he's posted a 2.01 ERA and 10 saves in 58.1 innings between AA Reading and AAA Lehigh Valley in 2015. He's also struck out 73 batters, but walked 37. But hey, the Phillies are going nowhere fast, and Adam's got a left arm and a pulse, so it'll be interesting to see what he can do in the third act of his career.

Vintage Fridays: Tony Muser, 1978 Topps #418

As I flipped through my 1978 Topps binder tonight, I noticed that many of the Orioles were still wearing their stirrups high and skinny in 1977, six years after the team traded Frank Robinson to the Dodgers. Of course, Frank was a trendsetter like that.

Bobby Young, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #492

The Orioles' most significant trade-deadline acquisition was corner outfielder Gerardo Parra, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for minor league pitcher Zach Davies. In a bit of serendipity, the two-time Gold Glover became the 1,000th player in Orioles history when he took his place in left field on Saturday, August 1. I'm not much for math, but that's an average of 16.1 new O's per season. It all began with second baseman Bobby Young, who led off for the Birds in their April 13, 1954 opener in Detroit and bounced out to Tigers first baseman Walt "Moose" Dropo, who was himself destined to be among the first 1,000 players in Oriole lore. As long as we're looking back on the team's Baltimore origins, here are the other firsts from that 3-0 loss to Steve Gromek in Motown:

• First base hit: Gil Coan, single to right field with two outs in the first inning
• First pitch: Don Larsen
• First putout: Clint Courtney, catching strike three from Larsen to Detroit leadoff hitter Frank Bolling
• First walk: Future Indians World Series hero Vic Wertz, leading off the top of the fourth
• First extra-base hit: Larsen, double to left field with one out in the top of the fifth inning
• First pinch hitter: Dick Kokos, who struck out while batting for shortstop Billy Hunter with one out in the top of the ninth

Eddie Murray, 1982 Donruss #483

I've never understood why some people don't like to celebrate their birthdays. Today is my 33rd, which seems like quite a good number. In the spirit of Eddie Murray, Chris Davis made my birthday all the sweeter with a tenth-inning grand slam to seal a 7-3 win, helping the O's to take a three-game series in Oakland. I'm still not completely sold on the Orioles' chances to make it to the postseason, but we're into August and the games still mean something. I haven't forgotten all of the years when that wasn't the case.

Tommy Hunter, 2015 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-16

At the rate I'm going, I'll have the entire team set posted by the end of the season. Anyhow, the Orioles parted ways with Tommy Hunter just before last Friday's 4:00 pm trade deadline, sending him to the Cubs in exchange for outfielder Junior Lake. It was a move that created more roster flexibility for the club, and Hunter's $4.65 million price tag was pretty high for a middle reliever, but that doesn't mean that he won't be missed. He played the role of gregarious meathead pretty well, as you might expect of somebody with the Twitter handle @TommyGoesBOOM. Last year there was a between-innings "Ask an Oriole" video feature on the Camden Yards scoreboard with most of Tommy's teammates picking him as the player most likely to be thrown out of a nice restaurant...it ended with him matter-of-factly agreeing. He also gave me - and thousands of other O's fans - a fantastic memory when he secured the final out of the team's AL East Divison-clinching win last year. Afterward, he celebrated in style. Good luck in Chicago, Tommy.

Bud Norris, 2015 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-8

I left town for a long weekend, and the Orioles lost two of their bigger personalities. Bud Norris was designated for assignment after Thursday's disastrous relief appearance, which left him 2-9 with a 7.06 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP in 2015. "Budford", as I liked to call him for no other reason than my own amusement, was never right this season, as he was hampered by a bout of bronchitis and also admitted to being overly concerned with his impending free agency. It was a far cry from his strong 2014 season, when he went 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA (8-2, 3.27 in the second half). Though he couldn't maintain that performance this season, Bud has etched out a place for himself in team history. O's fans are unlikely to forget his standout start in the Game Three ALDS clincher in Detroit last October, when the righty outdueled David Price with six and a third innings of two-hit, two-walk shutout ball. Norris struck out six batters in a 2-1 Baltimore win.

The other new ex-Oriole is Tommy Hunter, and he deserves his own sendoff. I'll do him right tomorrow.

Chris Davis, 2015 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-12

I won't be around these parts for the rest of the week, so I leave you with tonight's hero, Chris Davis. My sister and I endured the stifling heat and humidity to attend tonight's pregame Social Media gathering at the Upper Deck Rooftop Bar in Camden Yards. We dined on Esskay franks, picked up our #BirdlandSocial tees, and listened to the Q and A with Roch Kubatko and Jim Palmer. Afterward we took our seats in Section 352, down the third-base line and fairly near home plate, giving us an excellent vantage point for Chris Davis' go-ahead three-run homer in the first inning and his two-run shot past the reach of Nick Markakis in the second. It was the tenth multi-home run game of Crush's career, and if memory serves me correct, it's the third such game that I've seen live. He also made a fantastic running grab of an A. J. Pierzynski fly ball to deep right field in the eighth inning, when the Braves were making a late bid to get back in the game. That's four in a row for the Birds. It's good to have a productive Chris Davis in the lineup again.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 2011 Topps Orioles Team Set #BAL17

Tonight, the Orioles finally returned home for the first time since the All-Star Break, following a 4-5 road trip that featured a pair of series wins bookending a demoralizing sweep at the hands of the dag-blasted Yankees. The Baltimore fans were treated to a pitchers' duel, with Kevin Gausman blanking the Braves on six hits over a career-best 7.2 innings and Alex Wood matching him frame-by-frame. Zach Britton, pitching the ninth in a non-save situation, gave up a rare solo home run to somebody named Adonis Garcia, setting the stage for Atlanta's new closer (and Charm City's old one) Jim Johnson...who promptly blew the save. Adam Jones legged out an infield hit, Matt Wieters lined a hanging 0-2 curveball for a more conventional single, and J. J. Hardy tied the game with a sac fly to left. Wieters, who's looked rusty more often than not since returning from Tommy John surgery, then blasted a Luis Avilan offering into the right-center field bleachers for a walkoff home run with no outs in the bottom of the 11th. The O's have clawed back to .500 at 49-49, and they spoiled Nick Markakis' homecoming. The longtime Oriole right fielder collected a pair of hits in five at-bats, but did fly out to left field with the potential go-ahead run on second base in the 10th. Oh, and Ryan Lavarnway started at catcher for the Braves, and picked up right where he left off in his forgettable stint in Birdland earlier this season: 0-for-4 with a strikeout and a stolen base allowed to David Lough. It's a veritable family reunion at Camden Yards this week.

Jeff Robinson, 1991 Leaf #464

Here we see Jeff Robinson throwing his famous "razz-ball", which was just an ordinary fastball. However, as he delivered the pitch, Robinson would stick out his tongue and blow a raspberry at the unsuspecting batter. It was...less than effective.

Vintage Fridays: Billy Cox, 1955 Bowman #56

If the name Billy Cox rings a bell to you, it's probably due to his tenure with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Cox was an infielder for the Bums from 1948 through 1954, and he gained a reputation as an acrobatic and dependable third baseman in particular. Though he wasn't known for his offense - he batted .262/.318/.380 (85 OPS+) with a total of 66 home runs in 1,058 career games - he held his own with the bat in World Series play. Billy played for three pennant-winning clubs in Brooklyn, and although all three of those teams were defeated by the damned Yankees in the Fall Classic, he hit .302/.351/.453 in 15 total Series games. Unfortunately, the Dodger fan-favorite wasn't around in 1955 when Brooklyn finally toppled the Bronx Bombers, as he'd been traded to Baltimore the previous December along with pitcher Preacher Roe. The Orioles didn't give up much in the deal, sending a pair of minor leaguers and $50,000 to the Dodgers; of course, they didn't get much out of the trade either. The 39-year-old Roe, a former four-time All-Star, retired without throwing a pitch for the O's. Cox, age 35, batted just .211/.275/.314 in 53 games as an Oriole, homering three times and driving in 14 runs. In mid-June, the Birds agreed to a four-player swap with the Indians, Cox and Gene Woodling for Dave Pope and Wally Westlake. Billy chose to retire rather than switch teams again, so Baltimore sent $15,000 cash to Cleveland to complete the trade. Billy Cox returned home to Newport, PA, near Harrisburg, and tended bar. He died of cancer at age 58 in 1978.

Jim Palmer, 1981 Kellogg's #2

I really should be wringing my hands and venting spleen over the ongoing horrors of the Orioles' July meltdown, but I'm busy helping my wife Janet celebrate her birthday in style. So just stare at this 3-D-ish 35-year-old rendering of Jim Palmer...why? Janet's initials before we got married were J. P. That's good enough for me.

Leo Gomez, 1992 Pinnacle Team 2000 #52

Leo Gomez was part of an 80-card insert set in 1992 Pinnacle that touted young players who were expected to be stars in (you guessed it) the year 2000. He did post an .880 OPS with 27 homers in Y2K, but he did it in Japan. Besides, he's not even the biggest miss in the O's team set. Luis Mercedes, anyone? That guy played his last major league game in 1993 (.190/.286/.242 in 70 career games), and was out of baseball altogether by 1997. At least they got it right with Mike Mussina.

Jake Arrieta, 2007 Tristar Prospects Plus #96

I don't think I've mentioned it here, but it's super-annoying that Jake Arrieta figured out how to pitch after the Orioles traded him to the Cubs in 2013. In 53 starts with Chicago, the righty is 25-12 with a 2.70 ERA (139 ERA+) and a 3.62-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 69 games (63 starts) in parts of four seasons in Baltimore, Jake was 20-25 with a 5.46 ERA (77 ERA+) and a 1.74 strikeout-to-walk ratio. What a butthead.

Nick Markakis, 2009 Upper Deck Goudey #18

Sound the air raid sirens! Mere days after I mused upon Nick Markakis' home run drought, he finally touched 'em all tonight against Dodgers pitcher Brandon Beachy. His first-inning, two-run shot went out to straightaway center field in Atlanta, clearing the fence at the 400-foot mark. It was Nick's 394th plate appearance for the Braves. His first homer as an Oriole came a bit quicker, as he went deep off of Tampa Bay reliever Dan Miceli in his sixth and final plate appearance in his first start for the club. But who's counting?

Jonathan Schoop, 2014 Topps Heritage #49

We're three weeks into July, and the Orioles just got their first series win of the month with a 9-3 win over the Tigers in today's rubber match. Jonathan Schoop's three-run homer off of Justin Verlander highlighted a six-run fourth inning, as the O's chased the former Cy Young and MVP after just 3.2 innings of work. There were still plenty of tense moments; the Tigers and Orioles each had 14 hits, but Baltimore reversed their recent fortune by going 6-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Detroit went 3-for-12 and stranded 13 runners, compared to five left on base for the Birds. If the O's are going to make a move in the second half, Schoop could be a big part of it. He missed two and a half months with a knee injury, but has hit six home runs in only 18 games (62 plate appearances). He also made a number of dazzling defense plays in this weekend's series, further bolstering the team's already strong collection of gloves. Now the Orioles head to Yankee Stadium with a razor-thin hold on second place in the American League East, hoping to cut into New York's four-game division lead. Buckle up.

Chris Tillman, 2015 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-14

Earlier this week I looked at the pitching matchups for this weekend's series in Detroit, and saw that tonight's game would be Chris Tillman vs. David Price. Naturally, I groaned, because I can't see the future. Tonight Tillman was masterful; he allowed a single and a walk in the first inning and then retired the last 23 batters he faced, making Manny Machado's third-inning solo homer off of Price stand up. The O's tall righthander left after eight one-hit innings, but a two-run single by Caleb Joseph in the top of the ninth made Zach Britton's job a bit easier. The All-Star closer retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning for his 24th save in 25 tries. So tomorrow Miguel Gonzalez takes the mound as the Birds have a chance to win the series. You can't ask for much more.

Vintage Fridays: Chuck Diering, 1956 Topps #19

Yikes. Apparently nobody told the Orioles that the All-Star Break ended tonight. Let's distract ourselves with this lovely card featuring Chuck Diering, the Most Valuable Oriole from the team's inaugural 1954 season. As is usually the case with 1956 Topps, the highlight of the card is the background scene. In this case, Chuck looks like he's belly-flopping into second base, giving us a great opportunity to see most of the #32 on the back of his jersey. As for his black-and-orange striped socks...I would very much like a pair of those.

Nick Markakis, 2008 Topps Orioles Team Set #BAL1

Nick Markakis is having a decent enough season in his new digs in Atlanta. As was usually the case in Baltimore, he's played in all but one of the Braves' 89 games in 2015, batting .293 with a .381 on-base percentage and 20 doubles. But while he's on pace for the most two-baggers he's hit in a season since 2010, and he's reaching base at a higher rate than he has since 2008 (.406 OBP), his already-diminishing home run power has completely evaporated. Nick has yet to go deep this year, leaving him with a career-worst slugging percentage of .353. His last round-tripper came on September 25, 2014, when he led off the game by driving a Hiroki Kuroda pitch over the right field fence in Yankee Stadium. So his home run drought has reached 90 games and 392 plate appearances. The Oriole player with the most playing time without a single homer this year was Everth Cabrera, who was 0-for-105 in 29 games before going to the big free agent list in the sky. So I'll continue tracking Nick Markakis from afar with a morbid curiosity, to see how long it takes him to go yard.

Melvin Mora, 2005 Topps Opening Day #48

Melvin Mora is putting on his best expression of intense concentration, bat perched over his head, knees bent...but the real star of this card is the little girl in the first row with the backwards red cap who is staring disinterestedly at her orange foam finger.

George Sherrill, 2009 Topps Heritage #395

During the Orioles' Dark Ages, even All-Star week wasn't very fun. You usually didn't have a hometown guy to root for in the Home Run Derby; in 2007, when Nick Markakis led the team with a season total of 23 homers, he had a team-high nine at the All-Star Break. That doesn't get you an invite to the derby. The following year, weary O's fans had to wait until the 12th inning to see obligatory Baltimore representative George Sherrill (4.08 ERA, 1.42 ERA at the break) appear in the Midsummer Classic. It's still something of a surprise to see multiple Orioles as All-Stars, even though I know they're deserving. Adam Jones went hitless in two at-bats tonight, but Manny Machado turned heads with a warning-track fly ball against Clayton Kershaw in his first at-bat before driving in one insurance run in the seventh inning with a double against Francisco Rodriguez and subsequently scoring on a Prince Fielder sac fly. Manny also made a couple of sparkling defensive stops, naturally. Zach Britton pitched two-thirds of a scoreless inning in the sixth, striking out Bryce Harper in the process. No sign of Darren O'Day, but the American League is sitting on a 6-2 lead in the ninth inning. It looks like the O's will have home field advantage in the World Series.

Miguel Tejada, 2005 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH179

Manny Machado made quite a good showing for himself tonight in the Home Run Derby, blasting a dozen home runs in the first round. Unfortunately, he drew a bad seed, as Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson beat him out by smashing 13. So even though Manny had the fourth-most homers in the round of eight, he was one-and-done. But he did hit a handful of home runs over 450 feet, so he can hold his head high. But for the time being, Miguel Tejada is still the reigning Home Run Derby champion for the Orioles franchise, having taken the crown in Houston in 2004. There's always next year.

Cal Ripken Jr., 1991 Jimmy Dean #15

Here we are at the All-Star Break, and the Orioles are limping in at 44-44, losers of their last four series and 10 of their last 13 games. Yet they're not in a bad position overall. The Yankees and their dark magic sit in first place, four games ahead of the third-place Birds. Tampa Bay has a slim half-game edge on Baltimore, and Toronto is another half-game back. Boston still lurks, improbably, two and a half games behind the O's in last place. It has not been a pretty first half for anyone in the American League East, and the Orioles in particular have been up and down and all over the place. There have been injuries, slumps, and a complete regression from Chris Tillman and Bud Norris. Alejandro de Aza and Delmon Young have been shown the door, and others could follow. Every season is a six-month grind, but in 2015 we've really been able to see how our baseball sausage is made.

Randy Milligan, 1990 Bowman #257

It's Saturday night, which means that the Orioles are wearing their orange jerseys, and so I have an opportunity to remind you that the orange jerseys are magnificent. The Birds are clinging to a 4-3 lead over Walgreens the Nationals in the sixth inning as I type, so let's hope they can keep on going.

Vintage Fridays: Doug DeCinces, 1980 Topps #615

With the Orioles opening a crucial three-game home series vs. the Nationals tonight on the heels of a brutal 1-5 Midwestern road trip, I dug deep and pulled out my Wild Bill Hagy #34 tee before heading to Camden Yards. The Birds went out and won their first game in 37 tries when trailing after seven innings. Matt Wieters crushed a game-tying double to the right-center field gap in the eighth, setting the stage for the dramatic bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Jonathan Schoop reached out for a Tanner Roark pitch and drove it over the left field fence for his first career walk-off home run, playing the role of Doug DeCinces. We were even treated to the strains of "Orioles Magic" playing over the stadium PA as the team celebrated at home plate. I guess I was wearing the right shirt.

Ben McDonald, 1994 Fleer Ultra #3

22 years ago today, Ben McDonald scattered seven hits and four walks in six innings, allowing three runs in a 15-6 O's beatdown of the White Sox. Why is that noteworthy? As I discussed in great detail in an early post on this blog, it was the first game I ever saw in person at Oriole Park at Camden Yards...the first of many, to be sure. Just short of 11 years old, I had only recently caught baseball fever, and I couldn't have asked for anything else in that game. Brady Anderson threw out Bo Jackson at home plate to end Chicago's three-run first inning, and the Birds erased a 3-1 deficit with a monster 12-batter, seven-run rally in the bottom of the sixth. Chris Hoiles reached base in all five of his trips to the plate and provided the go-ahead hit with a three-run homer, which probably helps explain why he's still one of my all-time favorites. (Of course, David Segui added a two-run blast the following inning, and I was never that crazy about him. Go figure.) For variety's sake, Mark McLemore even chipped in with a bases-loaded walk. I'd love to track down a video of that game for nostalgia's sake.

Alan Mills, 1993 Score #440

Just before we left for Ocean City at the end of June, my wife gave me some beach reading: Dan Connolly's new book, 100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. I would recommend it to any O's fan as a quick and entertaining overview of team history. I learned a few new things as well. My favorite tidbit was the revelation that a college-aged Alan Mills had a Darryl Strawberry poster hanging in his dorm room. Of course, a decade later, Millsy posterized Straw in the most infamous melee in Baltimore baseball lore.

Ubaldo Jimenez, 2015 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-4

Are you sick of this year's Topps Orioles team set yet? My general boycott of new Topps products admittedly hampers variety when I want to feature current players. Anyhow, I'm a week late with this, but I just have to comment on the Birds' doubleheader sweep of the Indians two Sundays ago. As you may recall, the O's took the regularly scheduled afternoon game by a 4-0 score, with the rejuvenated Ubaldo Jimenez tossing a bullpen-preserving eight innings of four-hit, NO-walk, seven-strikeout ball. Brian Matusz and Chaz Roe made things interesting with a pair of walks in the ninth, but combined to get those ever-challenging final three outs. In the nightcap, a makeup of Saturday's rainout, Chris Tillman nearly matched Ubaldo's pitching line with seven innings, four hits, zero walks, and six whiffs. T. J. McFarland somehow kept Cleveland off the board for the last two innings despite allowing four hits of his own, and the Orioles cruised to an 8-0 victory. So not only did the O's win both ends of the twinbill, but they did so without giving up a single run. The last time the club blanked the opposition in both games of a doubleheader was September 6, 1974, when Dave McNally and Mike Cuellar each flummoxed...the Indians. And of course, I had just written about those two games (and the larger shutout streak surrounding them) two days before this latest turn of events. It's all very serendipitous.

Darren O'Day, 2015 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-6

I'm back from vacation, though I realize that I didn't mention I was leaving for a week. I'm back now, and I can't think of a better way to mark the occasion than by posting a card of 2015 All-Star Darren O'Day. Yep, three and a half years after the Orioles picked up the sidearming reliever on waivers from the Rangers, he's going to his first Midsummer Classic. O'Day (5-0, 1.14 ERA, 2 saves, 0.82 WHIP) and Zach Britton were both chosen for the American League squad by Royals manager Ned Yost. Meanwhile, Adam Jones and Manny Machado were voted in as reserves by their peers, giving the O's four representatives for next week's festivities in Cincinnati. It's been an uneven first half for the Birds, but a few of their standouts players are getting their just due.

Vintage Fridays: Ross Grimsley, 1975 SSPC #377

Tonight, Nationals starter Max Scherzer finally gave up a run, as the Phillies touched him up for a pair in the seventh inning. It snapped a 47 and one-third inning shutout streak by Washington starting pitchers, ensuring that the 1974 Orioles' post-expansion record of 54 straight scoreless innings will stand. Of course, the Birds did it the hard way, as those innings were truly consecutive. Dave McNally finished up a 7-1 complete-game victory over the Royals with a scoreless ninth inning on September 1 after his shutout was spoiled by a John Mayberry groundout with runners on the corners in the eighth. The next day, Ross Grimsley and Mike Cuellar each went the distance in a pair of 1-0 squeakers, as the O's swept Boston in a twinbill in Memorial Stadium. "Scuz" twirled a three-hitter, and Cuellar one-upped him with a two-hitter. Jim Palmer continued to flummox the BoSox on Wednesday the 4th, blanking them on three hits in a 6-0 breezer. The Orioles traveled to Cleveland for a Friday doubleheader and McNally (three-hit, 2-0 final) and Cuellar again (five-hit, 1-0 final) kept the zeroes coming. On Saturday, September 7, Grimsley carried a four-hit shutout into the game's final frame. With the Tribe down by three, George Hendrick led off with a double and Charlie Spikes finally spoiled the fun with a two-run homer. Ross regrouped to put down the next three Indians hitters in order, preserving the complete game victory. It was the tenth straight victory for the O's, who were in the midst of yet another late-season surge under Earl Weaver. That must have been an incredible time to be a fan.

Steve Pearce, 2015 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-10

Earlier today, Buck Showalter remembered that Steve Pearce is still on the active roster and penciled him in as the starting left fielder. Last season's breakout hitter rewarded his manager with a three-hit, two-double game, and the Orioles won yet another series in Fenway Park by eking out an 8-6 win in the rubber game. Most of the damage was done in a six-run fourth inning, as the O's heated up with seven straight hits against former Baltimore prospect Eduardo Rodriguez and chased him from the game. Rodriguez, sent to Boston last summer in the Andrew Miller trade, saw his stock immediately rise in the Sawx organization, leaving many Birds fans wringing their hands about the one who got away. On this day at least, the Orioles took a bit of luster off of him. So that's 15 wins in the last 20 games for the resurgent Showalters, and six straight series wins if you count the home-and-home four-game thing with the Phillies as a single series. That's how you climb in the standings. And the lovely capper on it all? Dating back to 2011, the Orioles have won nine of their past 12 series in Beantown. They've split two more series, and lost only one. I remember when arrogant Boston fans used to refer to Camden Yards as "Fenway South". What a difference a few years can make.

Joe Orsulak, 1989 Topps Big #181

Longtime reader and commenter Zach knows that I take his posting requests as a challenge, and I like to think that I'm up to the task. He took it easy on me yesterday by asking for a Topps Big card. The Orioles had a schizophrenic presence in that particular set, as all of the action photos used for the backdrops featured the players in 1988's tri-color headgear with the cartoon bird, and the foreground portraits had the O's clad in the brand-spankin'-new solid black caps with the more realistic bird. Joe Orsulak's card shows him batting in a chilly and sparsely-attended Old Comiskey Park, I believe. This is Topps Big, so I'd be remiss if I didn't scan the card back, too:

Unlike most of the players included in the Topps Big sets, Joe actually somewhat resembles the generic beefy white dude in the cartoons. The first panel, with "Orsulak" sporting an old-timey pirate hat and eye patch as he hoists a stack of pilfered bases, is especially choice. I do find it a bit odd that they couldn't pick out anything about his just-concluded 1988 season to highlight. Joe O was one of the few bright spots on that year's wretched Baltimore club, posting a team-high .288 batting average after a year's hiatus from the big leagues. His 113 OPS+ was a new career best, until he topped it in '89 with a mark of 121. But yeah, tell me all about his time in Pittsburgh in the middle of the decade.

Jeffrey Hammonds, 1997 Score #205

I took a quick look at all of my previous Jeffrey Hammonds posts to make sure I hadn't used this card before. When you post a card scan on a near-daily basis for seven and a half years, you can never be too sure. Anyway, I realized that there are quite a few amusingly goony Hammonds cards in circulation. Click the link above, and you'll see what I mean. This 1997 Score card, with Jeffrey shooting a knowing glance at the photographer ("I see you snapping shots of my butt, and I don't even care"), doesn't even crack the top three.

Jim Palmer, 2013 Topps Allen and Ginter #293

Okay, I'm back from a quick weekend trip to Charlotte, and I'm glad that the Orioles were kind enough to take two of three in Toronto while I was away. For the sake of my blood pressure, I'm also grateful that I didn't have to witness those games live. But as long as the O's have a night off in Boston, I'll show off the one and only Oriole that I pulled from a discounted box of 2013 A&G while on a Target excursion in the Tar Heel State. If you're only going to get a single Oriole in a box of 48 cards, it may as well be 'Cakes. Besides, there were plenty of other great vintage players in that blaster: Stretch McCovey (mini and base), Bob Gibson, Mike Schmidt, Wade Boggs, Catfish Hunter, Robin Yount, and a mini A&G back Spahnie. I also got a mini Bud Selig, but that's why God invented the Sharpie.

Sam Horn, 1991 Upper Deck #530

As I mentioned last night, Twins refugee Chris Parmelee had one hell of an Orioles debut, collecting a pair of singles and a pair of home runs in his first four at-bats. In 61-plus years in Baltimore, only one other player hit two round-trippers in his first game for the team: the one and only Sam Horn. On April 9, 1990 - Opening Day - the former Red Sox prospect went 4-for-5 with a pair of three-run homers, nearly single-handedly carrying the O's past the Royals in a 7-6 win. Sam had a nice little three-year stay in Charm City, batting .240/.328/.468 (122 OPS+) with 42 home runs and 125 RBI in 827 plate appearances. I wouldn't bet on Parmelee to stick around that long, but Dan Duquette has found useful players in unlikely places before.

P. S. : No posts from me for the rest of the week. See y'all Monday.

Brady Anderson, 2001 Donruss #66

Tonight the Orioles throttled the Phillies 19-3. They scored in all but one inning, and put up three or more runs in four separate innings. Oh, and I buried the lede - the O's set a new team record with eight home runs. The record-breaker was hit by Ryan Flaherty off of Philly outfielder Jeff Francoeur, who took one for the team by tossing 48 pitches over two innings. Manny Machado led off each of the first two innings with homers, Chris Parmelee added a pair as part of his four-hit Oriole debut, and Jimmy Paredes, David Lough, Chris Davis, and Flaherty had one apiece. It was the most runs scored by the Birds since a September 28, 2000 rout of Toronto that ended up at 23-1. That day, the O's also had a leadoff homer - from Brady Anderson. So it's been a minute.

Did I mention that I was at tonight's game? Well, I guess I did, just now. Thanks for the fireworks, guys.

Wei-Yin Chen, 2015 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-15

Wei-Yin Chen, or "Weentsy", as I (and nobody else that I know of) call him, came through in a big way for the Orioles tonight. The bullpen has been working overtime lately, as O's starting pitchers had failed to complete six innings in eight consecutive games before tonight. But Chen was equal to the task, plowing through the Phillies for eight shutout innings in a 4-0 win, the team's ninth victory in the past 11 games. The Philly batters hit only four balls out of the infield, none before the fifth inning. The big blow for the Birds was a two-out, three-run homer by Matt Wieters in the sixth inning, but it's nice to see a starter give most of the 'pen a night off. Thanks, Weentsy!

Manny Machado, 2014 Panini Donruss #125

When you're hot, you're hot. The O's win streak has reached six straight games, as they throttled the Yankees again tonight by a 9-4 score. Another 15 hits for the Baltimore bats, including home runs by Nolan Reimold, Manny Machado, and David Lough. Manny had three hits and four RBI, and is on a 14-for-30 pace over his last seven games. That's the kind of performance you like to see from a leadoff hitter. The top of the American League East is getting pretty cozy, with the Yanks dropping into a first-place tie with the Rays. The Blue Jays, who have used some sort of dark Canadian magic to rattle off ten consecutive wins of their own, are one game behind the leaders, and the Orioles are lurking a game back of Toronto. Meanwhile, Boston is firmly in the cellar with a 27-36 record, five games behind Baltimore and seven back of first place. The next 101 games should be interesting.

Vintage Fridays: Hank Bauer, 1964 Topps #178

I headed to Oriole Park at Camden Yards tonight expecting the worst. It was hot and muggy, the Yankees (and by extension their fans) were in town, and the pitching matchup was Ubaldo Jimenez vs. Michael Pineda. Sometimes I love being proven wrong. Jimenez gutted out five innings of three-run ball, the Yanks stranded the bases loaded twice, and the O's hammered out 16 hits en route to an 11-3 win. Chris Davis had a game-breaking three-run homer among his three hits, and Caleb Joseph also had a homer and three hits. New York didn't look much like a first-place team; they had two errors, two more misplays that were generously scored as hits, and a wild pitch. It was fun to watch.

This was a pretty significant win for Baltimore. It's their fifth in a row, their most runs scored since April 26's 18-7 beatdown of the Red Sox, and it draws them even at 30-30. The Birds hadn't seen the .500 mark since May 5. It was also Buck Showalter's 407th win as the O's manager, tying him with Hank Bauer for third-most in team history behind Earl Weaver and Paul Richards. Pretty good for one night's work.

Nolan Reimold, 2012 Topps Orioles Team Set #BAL3

Here's a thing that I didn't think I would say in 2015: Nolan Reimold made some major contributions as the Orioles completed a sweep of the Red Sox with a 6-5 win. The 31-year-old outfielder, who was promoted from AAA Norfolk earlier this week, chased down eight fly balls in left (and later right) field, and added a solo home run. It was his first round-tripper in an O's uniform since July 10, 2013. It's been a very uneven couple of months in Baltimore, but the Birds are riding their first four-game win streak of the year and are back within a game of .500. This weekend, they can take their best shot at the first-place Yankees. It's anybody's game right now.

Bryan Bass, 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects #BC116

Hey, it's a Bowman prospect card from eight years ago, so the question is: who in the blue hell is Bryan Bass? The Internet tells me that he was the Orioles' first-round compensatory draft pick (31st overall) in 2001, a consolation prize for losing Mike Mussina in free agency. It took Bass, who was selected out of Seminole High School in Florida, six years to make it to AA Bowie. In 170 games over two seasons with the Baysox, Bryan batted .221/.317/.359 with 14 home runs and 60 RBI. The O's cut bait on him after the 2007 season, and that was all she wrote for his baseball career, save for a one-game stint with the Tucson Toros of the independent Golden Baseball League in 2009. So why did Topps/Bowman put him on a "prospect" card when he was on his way out of affiliated baseball? I guess you'd have to ask them.

Jay Gibbons, 2005 Donruss Team Heroes #44

Today in Fuzzy Background Figures on Baseball Cards: Jay Gibbons hits a majestic fly ball, and the home plate umpire forgets himself and lets loose with an enthusiastic fist pump.

J.J. Hardy, 2015 Topps Orioles Team Set #BO-11

I love this card, unfortunate numbering convention notwithstanding. This photo was taken in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS - Friday, October 3, 2014. Delmon Young had just roped a bases-loaded pinch double into left field, blowing the nonexistent roof off of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. J.J. Hardy is sliding home ahead of Alex Avila's tag to give the O's a 7-6 lead. It's the most exciting moment I've witnessed in person as an Oriole fan, and now it's preserved in card form.

Matt Wieters, 2013 Panini Prizm #17

The Orioles are undefeated in 2015 when Matt Wieters starts. Sure, it's a sample size of two games, but it's good to see the team's star catcher back in the lineup after a year-plus hiatus due to Tommy John surgery. He looks to be in great form, too; in Friday's 5-2 win at Cleveland, he had a single, an RBI double, a sacrifice fly, and a run scored in four trips to the plate. Today, Matt completed his weekend cycle with a triple (with an assist to overmatched Indians right fielder Brandon Moss) and a solo homer in a 7-3 O's victory. A week into June, the Birds are finally approaching full strength. They've got five and a half games to make up in the AL East, but there's an encouraging precedent. On this date last year, the Orioles dropped a 4-3 contest to Oakland to fall 6.5 games behind the Blue Jays. So, why not?

Vintage Fridays: Ken Singleton, 1980 Topps #340

You don't see guys wearing the cap under their batting helmet any more; Juan Pierre is the most recent example that comes to mind. Is it because the helmets are constructed to fit better, or are today's players just more conscious of the fact that wearing two pieces of headgear together looks incredibly doofy? I'm guessing it's a bit of both.

Matt Albers, 2009 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee #156

Yup, somebody thought that this photo was suitable for a baseball card. I'm sure that Matt Albers was aiming for a smile, but it ends up looking like he has a bad case of gas. Whoops.

Alex Gordon, 2000 Topps Traded #T21

Leave it to the Orioles to sign the wrong Alex Gordon. Their version was an undrafted high schooler from Washington state whom Topps saw fit to put on a baseball card after he put up a .348/.418/.678 batting line in 63 games at the lowest level of the minor leagues. As you may have guessed, that performance was not sustainable, and he was out of pro ball by age 24, never having made it to AA. In 2005, the Royals drafted their own Alex Gordon with the second overall pick in the draft, and after some early struggles the University of Nebraska product found his comfort level as a strong defensive left fielder with good power and on-base skills. He's a two-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glover, and the only thing he has in common with "our" Alex Gordon is his name.

Frank Robinson, 2000 MLB All Century Team Playing Cards

Does it get any better than an oddball card of Frank Robinson showing off his 1966 MVP plaque in Yankee Stadium? Well, the current-day Orioles could stop scuffling and take charge in a subpar American League East, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards this week. There's 110 games left after tonight, but it's hard to be patient and calm when the team's looking as snakebit as they are right now. Already tonight, a four-run lead evaporated in two innings. I can't bear to watch.

Luis Matos, 2001 Upper Deck MVP #71

Luis Matos is a Loon.

I swear I'm not resorting to childish name-calling. Matos, who is still only 36 years old, is currently the manager of the Dodgers' Class-A Midwest League affiliate, the Great Lakes Loons. This is his first year on the job, and the team is currently 25-26, smack in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Division. They are five and a half games behind the Lansing Lugnuts, and boy do I enjoy goofy minor league team names. Oh, and here's the kicker: the Loons' hitting coach is one of Luis' former Orioles teammates, the one and only Jay Gibbons. The only way it could be any better would be if the Great Lakes pitching coach was Matt Riley. (For the record, it's Glenn Dishman, who pitched for the Padres, Phillies, and Tigers from 1995-1997, and was born in Baltimore. I guess Midland, Michigan is Charm City North.)