Albert Belle, 2001 Donruss Elite #56

It's no secret that we're all getting older. It just seems like some of us get to "old" a lot quicker than others. The last time I saw Albert Belle, he looked something like this. That was roundabouts 2000, when he played his final game for the Orioles before abruptly retiring due to an arthritic hip. But earlier this week, he re-emerged at Indians camp at the urging of ex-teammates Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, and Sandy Alomar, Jr. Though Albert looks a lot more at ease than he ever did during his playing days, he also looks closer to 55 than 45, his actual age. See for yourself. Suddenly I feel silly for fretting over my upcoming 30th birthday and the increasing flecks of gray in my hair. Of course, the yin to Belle's yang is Lofton, who doesn't look much different at 44 than he did at 24. Some guys have all the luck.

B.J. Surhoff, 1997 Fleer Ultra #423

Well, it's past my bedtime, so enjoy the often-intense B.J. Surhoff actually cracking a smile in this candid spring training photo. B.J. is just one of the former Orioles lending a helping hand in Sarasota this year as an instructor, joining former teammates such as Brady Anderson, Mike Bordick, Chris Hoiles, and Alan Mills.

Sidney Ponson, 1998 Leaf Rookies and Stars #250

When you consider that I’ve owned cats for the past year, and that I’m lazy enough to leave stacks of baseball cards laying around the living room and spare room, it’s pretty remarkable that this Sidney Ponson card was the first significant victim of those exploratory claws and teeth. I only have myself to blame, as I had left a box of late 1990s Orioles open on the guest bed with Sir Sidney sticking straight up as a placeholder so that I might easily place the Danny Clyburn card I’d pulled to scan a few weeks back. I never got around to it, so the portly Aruban hurler was just hanging out there in the open, taunting a couple of house pets who enjoy pawing anything within reach. (Of course, the mystery assailant could have been making a personal statement about his distaste for the boorish behavior and oft-subpar performance of Mr. Ponson.) Homer, the more spastic of the pair, has knocked piles of unsorted cards off of the top of my DVD rack on multiple occasions, and I know that I have to be vigilant when he’s poking around in that vicinity. I’ll say it one more time: I need to get my organization and cataloguing act in gear. If I need any further motivation, I’ll refer to this card…and this picture of Charlie hovering menacingly over my incomplete 1972 Topps set.

Juan Guzman, 1999 Topps #309

This is kind of an odd photo. Is that Juan Guzman's actual pitching motion? It doesn't seem like he'd be able to generate much velocity if his front foot was already on the ground before the ball was released. I'm guessing that he was playing long toss between innings, or maybe he's intentionally walking the batter. Hell, maybe he's lobbing an eephus pitch to throw the batter off-balance. Whatever he's doing, it looks like there are about five fans there to witness it.

Mike Mussina, 2000 Pacific Omega #19

When the Orioles traded their erstwhile #1 starter Jeremy Guthrie to the Rockies earlier this month, a lot of media members and fans wondered aloud who the team's Opening Day starting pitcher would be. If you ask me, that's a secondary concern. After all, there's not one pitcher who could be considered a lock for the five-man rotation, much less a front-runner to take on the Twins on April 6. But the speculation did inspire me to do some crack research on the O's previous 58 Opening Day starters. What follows is a list of the 33 men to receive that honor. As you can see, they were not all created equal. The guys at the very top of the list, though, should be no surprise.

-Mike Mussina and Jim Palmer: 6 starts each
-Dave McNally: 5
-Jeremy Guthrie, Rodrigo Lopez, Steve Barber: 3
-Rick Sutcliffe, Mike Boddicker, Mike Flanagan, Dennis Martinez, Milt Pappas: 2

And of course, the one-timers.

-Kevin Millwood, Erik Bedard, Sidney Ponson, Scott Erickson, Pat Hentgen, Jimmy Key, Jeff Ballard, Bob Milacki, Dave Schmidt, Storm Davis, Scott McGregor, Steve Stone, Pat Dobson, Tommy Phoebus,  Billy Hoeft, Jerry Walker, Jack Harshman, Connie Johnson, Hal Brown, Bill Wight, Lou Kretlow, Don Larsen

Which names are surprising to you? Only three pitchers had more Opening Day starts for the Birds than Guthrie, and they're the three best in club history. Rodrigo Lopez's three starts may seem to be an indicator of the team's lack of pitching depth in the 2000s, but two of those assignments came on the heels of his very good 2002 (15-9, 3.57 ERA) and 2004 (14-9, 3.59) seasons. Dave Schmidt's start in the 1989 opener seems like an odd choice in hindsight, since he wound up with an astronomical 5.69 ERA on a surprisingly competitive young team that had a cumulative 4.00 ERA on the season. But he'd been much better than that in 1988, with a 3.40 ERA in a swingman role for a much worse O's team. Besides, Frank Robinson had no way of knowing how well Ballard and Milacki would pitch in '89.

So who's your pick for Opening Day 2012? I'll go out on a limb and say it's Zach Britton. Now I've probably doomed him to have a slow recovery from his ongoing bout of shoulder soreness.

Vintage Fridays: Eddie Murray, 1980 Kellogg's #24

In honor of Eddie Murray's 56th birthday (and Honus Wagner's 138th), I think that February 24 should be a national day of recognition for beastly men everywhere. On Like a Boss Day, it would be your duty to ask yourself one question: What Would Eddie Do? Then you would act accordingly. Go to the zoo and pick a fight with a lion. Repair your neighbor's roof with nothing but a box of toothpicks and a children's glue stick. Balance the country's budget while reciting Shakespeare.

...Or maybe just think about how outstanding Eddie Murray is. Many happy returns, 33.

Jay Gibbons, 2005 Donruss Zenith #199

It was three years ago that I compared Jay Gibbons to a bad penny, and he’s still reemerging from the ether for yet another baseball season. The soon-to-be 35 year-old outfielder just signed a minor league deal with the Brewers, complete with an invite to major league spring training. He’s probably competing for a bench job, but the absence of departed free agent first baseman Prince Fielder certainly improves Jay’s odds of sticking around for a bit. He’s already exceeded my expectations by making it back to the majors after a two and one-half year exile at the end of the last decade. Gibbons was a Dodger for parts of the 2010 and 2011 campaigns, batting .269/.317/.438 with 6 home runs and 22 RBI in 61 games total. Most of that production came in the former year, so he’ll have to prove himself all over again. But that should be old hat by now.

Chris Sabo, 1994 Pinnacle #490

You can't tell me that the folks at the card companies didn't get a kick out of Chris Sabo's Rec-Specs just like the rest of us did. Why, Pinnacle's photographer even tried to give them a little free advertising. I spent a few moments gazing deep into Sabo's lenses in this photo to see if I could puzzle out the reflected image, but all that I could make out was the white chalk outline of the base path. I'd give it a second try, but to spend too much time in those shatterproof oracles is an invitation to madness. Beware.

Brian Roberts, 2009 Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee Black #20

I heard that Brian Roberts was hitting off of a tee today in Sarasota. Roch Kubatko even tweeted a blurry picture of it. I wish I could get excited, but I'm reading between the lines. He's not facing live pitching, running, or even taking ground balls at this point. I just have this sinking feeling that Brian's slow recovery from multiple concussions will keep him from ever taking the field for the Orioles again. The worst part is that these symptoms have impaired Roberts' day-to-day life, but the uncertainty of the whole thing is what makes it hard to see. In my experience as an O's fan, I've seen prominent players slowly decline (Cal Ripken, Jr., Brady Anderson, Melvin Mora), and I've seen others simply fall off the face of the earth (Albert Belle, Javy Lopez, Vladimir Guerrero, I could keep going...). But it's like Brian is in limbo. You can't put a bandage on your brain, there's no exercise you can do to make headaches go away. I hope he'll make it back, but I can't even begin to lay odds on something like that.

Cal Ripken, Jr., 1990 Fleer #634

"Okay, Tony, stand right there with your arms awkwardly hanging to the sides. And Cal, can you stand as far away from him as you possibly can while maintaining the illusion that you're actually touching? That's perfect! Now, if you could just glance to your right with an expression that seems to say, 'I would rather be literally anywhere other than here' - oh, you're way ahead of me! Yes, wonderful! This will be the centerpiece of my study in ballplayers who would never hang out together in real life."

Carlos Mendez, 2003 Fleer Tradition Update #U368

I can't say that I remember much about Carlos Mendez' 26-game stint with the Orioles in 2003, which also represented the entirety of his major league career. But there's something about this card that I really like. The bright blue Florida sky in the backdrop, full of fluffy clouds. Carlos domineering over the photographer, strong arms crossed over his chest, grinning gregariously. He looks much bigger than the 6'0" and 210 pounds at which he's listed. Even though the infielder is on the verge of his 13th professional season without yet having reached the bigs, he projects an air of confidence and joy. It's spring training, and anything is possible.

Eddie Murray, 2012 Dave Campbell #NNO

I have never featured a custom card on this blog, but this masterpiece is more than worthy of being the first. This was painted by fellow card blogger Dave Campbell, a.k.a. dayf, a.k.a. the Cardboard Junkie. I knew that Dave was sending me a couple needs off of my most-wanted list - the long-awaited Tim Raines, Sr. 2002 Fleer Tradition short-print and Carlos Mendez' rookie card from 2003 Fleer Tradition Update. But he snuck this excellent reproduction of Eddie Murray's 1978 Topps rookie card into the envelope as well, and I was blown away when I found it. All that Dave asked for in return was for me to draw him something - anything. Wow, I guess the pressure is on! Oh, and for comparison's sake, I'll drop in a scan of Eddie's actual rookie card below. Pretty damned good, I must say. Thanks, Dave!

Vintage Fridays: Willy Miranda, 1956 Topps #103

I mentioned earlier this week that I have a pretty small rotation of baseball card blogs that I read regularly, but now I think I have to add one to the bunch. Cliff Anderson asked me to check out his work at the bluntly-named "really bad baseball cards" blog, and I'm glad he did. Cliff focuses on offbeat photos, names, and other idiosyncracies from the rich subject material of 1950s cards. His posts are irreverent and clever, and it looks like he churns out a new one every week or so, which means that it shouldn't be too hard for us Internet junkies to keep up with reading them. I got a kick out of the "Little Guy" series of posts, examining the smaller action shots that complemented the close-up portraits on the fronts of the 1954, 1955 and 1956 Topps cards. Somehow this card, with its depiction of Willy Miranda doing either a bunny hop or a crab walk, escaped Cliff's attention. There will always be room for card blogs that exist for the pure and simple fun of it, and I hope that Cliff keeps up the good work for a long time.

Mark Belanger, 1982 Topps #776

There's something about a baseball card depicting Mark Belanger at bat that just seems mean, like they're making fun of him. Moreover, what is with the bat boy in the background? Is that Paul Williams? Is that the most bizarre pop culture reference that I've made on this blog? Is this week over yet?

Doug DeCinces, 1982 Fleer #162

There are only so many hours in the day, and I already spend too many of them on the Internet, so I tend to keep my hobby reading habits to a tried-and-true small list of baseball card blogs. I should probably branch out once in a while, because even the few that I read provide great inspiration for topics for my own blog. (Inspiration...that's what it's called when you blatantly recycle someone else's ideas, right?) Anyway, Night Owl (a.k.a. Mr. Dependable) just posted his unapologetic tribute to the offbeat, off-centered charms of the 1982 Fleer set. It's still February, so there's no real live baseball to talk about. I thought I'd supplement his work by looking at some of the so-bad-they're-good Orioles cards from Fleer's sophomore effort. The charms of this Doug DeCinces card are numerous: the light saturation makes it look like a Polaroid, Doug's left arm is cut off, and he's got his right hand tucked into his waistband as if the photographer caught him leaving the restroom. This is the seventh card I've posted from the set. The others, in chronological order:

-A pigeon-toed Lenn Sakata takes infield practice on what looks like the local sandlot.

-John Lowenstein lets his freak flag fly.

-Tim "Bigfoot" Stoddard wears a Hefty bag and conspicuously tight pants during warmups.

-Dennis Martinez flashes his pearly whites and poses with a bat and helmet.

-Rich Dauer tries to turn two with Carlton Fisk bearing down on him, and Coke gets some product placement.

-Steve Stone, a curly hairdo, and a mess of Oriole Bird helmets.

Oh great, now I feel the urge to build another set. One thing at a time, Kevin...

Fred Valentine, 1991 Crown/Coca-Cola All-Time Orioles #466

Frankly, I'm surprised I held off on the Valentine wordplay for the previous four years of this blog. This year I'm flying solo, but maybe I'll buy myself something nice. I deserve it, after all, and I am in desperate need of a new couch. But I'm thinking out loud.

Fred Valentine was signed by the Orioles way back in 1956 out of Tennessee State University, which also produced fellow O's Sam Bowens and Nate Snell. He had been the college's starting quarterback as well. Fred had a September cup of coffee with the big league team in 1959, collecting 6 singles and 3 walks in 22 trips to the plate (.316 AVG, .409 OBP). His first big-league hit came off of All-Star pitcher Billy Pierce of the White Sox on September 11. However, he found himself trapped by a glass ceiling for the next few years, not returning from AAA to Baltimore until the middle of the 1963 campaign. That year, he saw action in 26 games and hit .268 with a .388 on-base percentage and no power. Nearing age 30, he didn't seem to have a place with the Orioles.

In October 1963, the Senators purchased his contract. He spent parts of the next five years in Washington, including back-to-back seasons as an everyday player in 1966 and 1967. 1966 was his career year; he had a team-high 131 OPS+ and 22 stolen bases and batted .276/.351/.455. His 16 home runs and 59 RBI trailed only Frank Howard for the team lead. The O's reacquired him in exchange for pitcher Bruce Howard on June 15, 1968 and Valentine played his last 47 big-league games in orange and black, batting just .187 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI. He did provide the margin of victory in a July 7 game against the Yankees, hitting a tiebreaking home run off of Stan Bahnsen in the top of the ninth. It was his last major league homer; he played back at AAA Rochester in 1969 and put in a season in Japan before retiring. In parts of 7 MLB seasons, Fred hit .247 with a .330 OBP, 36 home runs, and 138 RBI. Today, the 77-year-old is the vice president and secretary of the MLB Players' Alumni Association.

Jim Dwyer, 1988 Fleer #558

When Jim Dwyer arrived at the ballpark that afternoon, Billy Ripken offered him a coffee. Jim was running late for his photo shoot with Fleer, so he accepted it gladly and gulped it down in no time. There was something odd about the flavor, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Ten minutes later, as he posed with his bat resting on his left shoulder, he had a sudden and awful realization. Billy had done it again.

Boog Powell, 2001 Upper Deck Decades: 1970s #20

Look at Boog Powell rockin' the shades. He looks like he's basking in the sun's rays, and if he just happens to catch a popup, all the better. Do you think he's a Ray-Bans type of guy?

Rick Dempsey, 2004 Fleer Greats #77

My first thought about this card was that it was encouraging to see Fleer put out a "greats" set while looking outside of the done-do-death limits of Cal, Eddie, Brooks, Frank, and Jim. My second thought was that the photo looked mighty familiar. If you pay attention to the faded, sepia-toned background image, you can see an Angels batter with a prominent mustache. Sure enough, this is the exact picture of Rick Dempsey and Bobby Grich from the Dipper's 1984 Fleer card. What can you say? It's a good photo.

Vintage Fridays: Tim Nordbrook, 1976 Topps #252

There's no turning back now. Good friend and affordable vintage watchdog Ed let me pick through a box of well-used 1974 and 1976 Topps commons, and when the dust settled I had bought a total of 370 cards off of him. I've put each (incomplete) set in a shiny new binder, so I guess there's nothing left but to admit that I'm building those sets. I don't have want lists posted yet; that would have required some planning. But a glimpse at my card catalog tells me that my 1974 set is 57% complete (377 of 660), and my 1976 set is right behind it at 56% (371 of 660). So as soon as I get my act together - and who knows when that will be - I'll be sure to point you towards my lists so that we can make a deal.

I love the two-color bar design at the bottom of the 1976 Topps set for its simplicity and brightness. Green makes sense as a secondary color for the Orioles, in my humble opinion. Not too sure about the yellow, but I'm not sure what else Topps could have done. Blue? Purple? Ewww. This is one of the delightfully crooked photos that are seeded throughout the set, giving it a trippy 1970s vibe. The subject of the card is Baltimore's own Tim Nordbrook, a hometown boy who attended Loyola Blakefield, one of the local all-boys' Catholic high schools. The Birds then drafted him out of Loyola College in Maryland (no relation) with their ninth-round pick in 1970. Though Tim had a six-game stint in the majors in 1974, this is his rookie card and the only Topps card depicting him as an Oriole. He had played a career-high 40 games in 1975, but came to the plate only 41 times with a frightening .118/.268/.147 triple-slash. He would go on to have cups of coffee with the Angels, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Brewers, playing his last game in 1979 and finishing with stats of .178/.286/.195 in 128 major league games. He managed in the Milwaukee farm system from 1982-1984 despite still being in his early thirties, and later returned home to coach baseball at his high school alma mater.